Spoilers: Original movie trilogy; A Journey of Discovery - Book One: Pendulum and Book Two: Pledge

Rating: PG-13

Summary: The long-awaited conclusion to the Journey of Discovery saga.

Disclaimer: All these wonderful characters belong to George Lucas. No Imperial or Republic credits are being made off this story.

Author's Notes: Many, many thanks to Gabri_Jade for helping me to correct all my writing blunders.

Before you start reading, a couple things to note --
Lorrdians have long, convoluted names, per the Lorrdian woman that Han met in Han Solo's Revenge. They also tend to communicate among themselves with a series of complicated facial and hand gestures.

As before, silent Force dialogue will be marked by asterisks. Chewie's dialogue will be translated and put into brackets.

Finally, a huge apology to everyone who's had to wait forever for this fic. My only excuse is my tired old brain just couldn't get any inspiration.

________________________________________________________________________________________

"Your report, Admiral Gorra?"

Elbows resting on the highly polished table, Lorrd's Crown Regent, Pard-and-Rand Ke'lor-Mise, steepled his long dark fingers and let his heavy lids drift shut as his top military officer gave a lengthy report of the war's progress. Ke'lor had been hoping, praying, that a peaceful solution to the dispute between his planet and neighboring Argazda could be achieved. But the Argazdans, it seemed, were as determined to wrench control of this sector away from the Lorrdians as their ancestors were four thousand years ago. The heavy fighting was confined for the moment to Lorrd's eastern continent, on the far side of the planet from the capital. Lorrdian forces were holding their own against Argazda, but just barely.

"Evaluation, Archa?"

Military strategist Colonel Ces-and-Grond Pimar-Archa sent a cautious gaze at his colleagues gathered in the opulent conference room, then directed his attention back to his leader.

"The situation is grave, Excellency," he pronounced, his grim-faced expression serving to conduct the news as much as his words. "We can hold on for perhaps another month – no more than that. Our forces have been clinging to our promise of a Jedi coming to lead them for far too long. There are rumors circulating among the air squadrons that no Jedi exists, that it is only a ploy to give them false hope."

"I see." The Regent turned to his aide, Meend. "Still no word, I presume?"

"Not yet," Meend admitted. "Today marks the tenth day since we received the Jedi's message of delay."

"Very well. If they do not arrive by sunset, we shall contact Mon Mothma to coordinate a search party."

Viceroy Dast-and-Yacit Blin-Ars, deputy of Lorrd's southern continent, raised his head in confusion. "They, Excellency?"

"He brings with him his padawan."

"You allowed this?" the portly viceroy questioned. "You expect an adolescent boy to also aid our cause?"

"A Jedi rarely travels anywhere without his apprentice," the Regent patiently explained, having studied the Jedi all his life. "It is considered an integral aspect of the student's training. To refuse to allow the boy to accompany his master would not be conducive to obtaining the Jedi's cooperation. Besides, if this padawan has been involved in battle in any manner, he may be an asset."

"If this Jedi cannot even appear as scheduled," General Chukla-Bref spoke up, his skepticism reflected in half the visages in the room, "how can we continue to hold faith that he will be able to lead our forces to victory?"

"The reports we have received of his victories with the New Republic say otherwise," Admiral Gorra countered.

"Sketchy reports, at best," Blin-Ars scoffed, his head shaking on his thick-set neck.

Objections and assertions rebounded among Regent Ke'lor's diverse staff of politicians and military officers, a staff he inherited when Lorrd's planetary governor died three months earlier. The ruler heaved a weary sigh as the debate escalated up and down the conference table ...

General Chuckla-Bref leaned forward, his hands gesticulating the possibility which no one wanted to voice aloud. What if the Jedi never arrives?

"He must arrive, and he must lead our forces," Ke'lor pronounced solemnly. "He is our only hope."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Mara Skywalker watched as the star lines resolved back into pinpricks of sparkling light. Ahead, the planets of the Kanz Sector continued their lazy orbits around their solitary sun. Lorrd was the planet closest to the sun, close enough for the solar radiation to darken the inhabitants' skin to multi-hued light and dark browns, far enough away to not burn those same inhabitants to a crisp. Argazda, Mara remembered from the data file, was the next planet out. The only noteworthy event in this sector was some sort of dictatorial takeover of Lorrd by its neighbor planet several millennia ago, an event which was eventually squelched by the Old Republic.

No sooner had realspace settled around her than the subspace comm began beeping in a loud tone. Mara reached for the switch at the same time as her senses reached out for Luke in the seat behind her. He remained peacefully ensconced in his healing trance.

"This is Lorrdian Spaceport Authority calling New Republic B-wing AA-615," a mechanized voice stated. "This is Lorrdian Space—"

"This is New Republic B-wing AA-615," she answered, cutting off the recording. Lorrd must have had the repeating hail going for days, she thought, waiting for the New Republic's errant negotiators to arrive.

There was a few seconds delay, and Mara could picture a bored spaceport controller noticing that someone finally answered the hail. "This is Controller Hauft, of the LSA, awaiting contact with Commander Luke Skywalker."

"This is Commander Skywalker's ... co-pilot," Mara replied, momentarily at a loss as how to identify herself. "We just arrived in-system, and were about to comm you. We should be in orbit over Lorrd and ready to land in approximately one standard hour."

"Acknowledged," the controller answered. "Relaying landing coordinates now." There was another pause, then the military-sounding voice returned. "We have an incoming transmission on a New Republic channel for Commander Skywalker. Rerouting now."

"Luke?" a familiar voice crackled onto the line.

"No, this is Mara Jade, Your Highness," Mara said in exasperation. Blazing stars – keeping tabs on little brother already!

"I want to talk to Luke."

Mara made sure her sigh was loud enough to be heard over the comm. "Hold on. I'll have to rouse him back to consciousness."

"What?!"

Smirking happily to herself, Mara sent the pre-arranged mental prodding back to her husband. *Time to wake up, lover.* She had jokingly reasoned that being referred to as anyone's lover was such a new concept to Luke that it would jolt him out of even the deepest trance. "Your sister's on the comm," she added aloud.

Luke jerked awake with a groan. "We're there?" he muttered, his voice gravelly as he shook off the remnants of his trance.

"Your sister. Comm," Mara repeated, ignoring his question for the moment.

He reached for the control on his own instrument panel. "Leia?"

"You were unconscious?" Leia asked worriedly.

"No, I was just in a heal— uh, just sleeping."

"A healing trance?" As usual, Luke's clumsy attempt at deception was utterly wasted on Leia. "Luke, what happened? Are you hurt?"

"It's nothing. I'm fine."

"Luke, tell me what's going on."

"Leia, did you want something, or are you just checking up on me?" Luke asked abruptly.

Mara listened with amusement to Luke's conversation with his overprotective sister. She knew he didn't mean to be so blunt; she'd discovered that he was sometimes a bit cranky when he first came out of a trance. Playing word games with Leia wasn't helping his disposition.

"Where are you, Luke? You were supposed to be on Lorrd ten days ago," Leia continued undaunted. "I was worried about you as it was, and now I find out that you're injured and that Mara Jade is still with you."

Mara frowned to herself. What was that supposed to mean?

"Did you think I would misplace her along the way?" Luke retorted. "Leia, I told you I'm fine. We had trouble with the ship and had to land for repairs. But we're just about to touch down on Lorrd" –his foggy mind reached out to Mara for confirmation— "and I'll be sure to grovel on my knees in apology when we meet the Regent."

"I'm not worried about the negotiations, Luke," Leia said. "I just ... Just be careful, brother. Don't trust anyone, do you hear me? Anyone."

"Sure, Leia," Luke replied slowly. "We'll be careful."

"All right. I'll contact you again tomorrow," Leia said. "I love you, Luke, and ... and ... just watch your back."

"I will," he said again. "Love you, too, sis."

"Nothing like being neurotic," Mara said as soon as Leia had signed off.

"Yeah, she was acting kinda strange," Luke murmured. "I wonder if she's sensing some sort of danger that we aren't?" He paused a moment. "There's something about Lorrd that doesn't seem quite right to me, but I don't feel any real danger. I guess I should have asked her to explain herself better, but maybe she thought the transmission was being monitored." He sighed audibly. "At least we don't have to wonder whether Mon Mothma told her that you came along."

"I didn't expect she'd keep it a secret, did you?"

"No, I suppose not."

"Speaking of secrets," Mara said. "Do we tell them?"

"Do we tell who what?"

"The Lorrdians, of course." She tried to twist around in her seat, but it was no use. It was impossible to talk to Luke face to face in this blasted cockpit; she would have to settle for feeling his emotions. "Do we tell them we're married?"

Several seconds passed before Luke answered. If it weren't for that precious emotional link, Mara would have thought he'd fallen asleep.

"If it's all right with you," he finally began, "I'd rather keep that to ourselves until we get back to Coruscant. It's not that I'm not bursting to shout it to the galaxy, but I didn't even get a chance to tell Leia, and if she finds out through some Holonet headline ..."

"Which she no doubt would," Mara finished. "You're right, you should tell her in person yourself."

"So that's Lorrd?" Luke said after a few minutes' pause.

Mara turned to gaze out at the mottled green and brown planet they were hurtling toward. "So the charts say. I already talked to the spaceport at the capital, which is also called Lorrd, by the way; they sent landing coordinates." She glanced down at her instruments. "Want me to send control back to you?"

"No," Luke muttered, and Mara could feel his mind still puzzling over what had Leia so jumpy. "You can land."

"Me?" Mara bit her lip in hesitation. She hated to admit that she was unsure of herself in any situation, but ...

"I remember your telling me that you could fly anything." A hint of amusement colored his offhand comment.

"Fly anything, yes," Mara said grudgingly. "Land the most bizarrely designed ship in the galaxy, well ..."

Luke sent a sensation of understanding to the front of the cockpit. "I'll talk you through it," he promised. "How was the trip here? Did I miss anything?"

"Like the hyperdrive failing again or a band of pirates attacking?" Mara asked, laughing. "No, it was boredom personified. And I did as I was told, Master. Rested, meditated, practiced focusing with the Force. Oh, and I reviewed the negotiation directives."

"Good. Glad one of us will know what we're doing." Luke exhaled wearily. "This will be my first assignment as a true Jedi – the first one that doesn't involve warfare."

"Looking forward to playing ambassador?"

"Looking forward to not having pilots dying under my command."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"Well, that was subtle," Han mumbled under his breath, his fingers punching in the coordinates for the final jump. The Millenium Falcon had been hanging quietly in space while Leia made her latest, and ultimately successful, attempt to reach her brother. An earlier attempt at the edge of a small asteroid cluster proved to contain too much static for a clear transmission.

"I could hardly blurt out 'Luke, she's an Imperial spy, take her prisoner.' Jade would've had her blaster pinned on him faster than he could blink." Leia settled back into her seat and adjusted her crash webbing. She hoped against hope that Luke had gotten the message. His refusal to admit that he'd been in a healing trance had her worried, too. Her brother never could lie convincingly. Why had he felt the need to lie now?

Han glanced back to Lando. "How soon before we reach Lorrd?"

"About fourteen standard hours," Lando answered. "It will be early tomorrow morning, their time."

"And then we still have to find Luke," Han added.

"No," Leia said grimly. "Then we have to find her."

===============================================================================

When the government of Lorrd had been informed that the Jedi envoy would be arriving in a military fighter, spirits had been heartened. This Jedi must truly be a warrior, it was reasoned, to travel such a distance without concern for physical comfort. Now Prime Aide Urpri-Meend, first assistant to His Excellency the Crown Regent, stood watching from the safety of a transparisteel barrier as the deceptively graceful New Republic craft lowered steadily to the landing platform. Even Meend, with his untrained eye, was impressed by the array of armament bristling from the ship's hull.

Meend strode forward as the ship's systems shut down one by one and the cockpit canopy popped open with a hiss of released air. He splayed his arms wide in salutation as the first occupant hopped lightly to the tarmac. The young man, barely out of his teens, removed his helmet and ran a hand through his tousled blond hair before bowing slightly in return.

Ah, the apprentice disembarks first, to verify the safety of the situation for his master. "I am Rel-and-Zeda Urpri-Meend. On behalf of Crown Regent Pard-and-Rand Ke'lor-Mise, I bring you greetings," Meend intoned formally. Age lines at the corners of his dark eyes crinkled with sincerity. "You must be the Jedi padawan of whom we have been apprised. We are gratified that your journey has culminated safely."

"Uh, thank you," the man replied, confusion briefly tingeing his soft voice. "We're glad to finally arrive, too, and we apologize for our delay."

"No need to apologize," the royal aide assured him.

The second pilot alighted, drawing the attention of both men. Meend's heavy gray eyebrows rose in surprise when the removal of the pilot's helmet revealed not the face of a middle-aged Jedi Knight, but a decidedly female visage no older than the padawan. He glanced in bewilderment from the girl, who was shaking out a long mane of golden red hair, to the cockpit above his line of sight. Surely there was not enough room on the ship for a third passenger.

"I'm afraid I don't understand," Meend finally said to the young woman, struggling to retain his professional bearing. "We were expecting the Jedi Knight, Luke Skywalker."

"I'm Luke Skywalker," the young man spoke up. "And this is my apprentice, Mara Jade," he added, nodding to his companion.

Meend turned to confront the speaker, looking him up and down more carefully this time. "You ... you are the Jedi sent by the New Republic?"

"Yes," the man confirmed, making a vain attempt to smooth out his rumpled flightsuit. "I'm afraid it has been a long journey for us. The cockpit of a fighter doesn't allow any room to freshen up before touchdown."

Long years of experience helped Meend to recover his composure. "I apologize deeply, Sir Knight, for my failure to recognize you. I shall see to it at once that you are shown to your suite ..." An afterthought suddenly occur to the aide as he glanced again to the silent woman. "Er, suites," he corrected. "Please follow me." He gestured to a pair of servants flanking a small hovercart. "Your luggage will be seen to immediately."

*What a wonderful first impression I must make,* Luke muttered silently as he and Mara followed their guide to a waiting ground shuttle.

*At least he finally acknowledged you,* Mara grumbled back. She had had little trouble at the docking bay sensing how self-conscious Luke had been of his youthful appearance. *His whole body language screamed disappointment as soon as he laid eyes on me.*

*I felt it was more distress or dismay than disappointment,* Luke countered. *We certainly weren't what he expected, that's for sure.*

By the time the entourage reached the ambassadorial quarters, Mara was beginning to get a headache from all the apologies that Prime Aide Meend was gushing regarding his misunderstanding at the spaceport. It was almost as if he feared the visiting Jedi Knight would be so offended that he might turn around and leave at any moment.

"It's all right, really," Luke continued to assure the distraught man. "Happens all the time."

Mara suppressed a snort at Luke's words. It wasn't an exaggeration – slight and unassuming as Luke was, strangers frequently overlooked him when seeking the Rebellion's greatest hero.

Meend led the way to an ornate door halfway down a long hallway. "Jedi Skywalker," he began, opening the door then stepping back so Luke could enter first, "this will be your suite. We did not know that your student was female. Fortunately, there are available quarters directly across the hall for Padawan Jade."

*Padawan?* Mara questioned silently.

*I assumed it was some sort of Lorrdian term for knight, but now I think it means apprentice,* Luke answered as he and Mara both surveyed his accommodations with interest. "Are there not two bedchambers?" he asked aloud, peering at adjoining doorways off the main room. "We wouldn't mind sharing this suite."

Prime Aide Urpri-Meend looked aghast at the notion. "Sir Knight, we would never subject you to such impropriety."

"But—"

"A room across the corridor will be acceptable," Mara said softly, interrupting Luke.

"Excellent." The relief on the Prime Aide's face was abundantly evident. "The Regent would be most pleased if you would join him for evening meal. Would one hour be sufficient for you to refresh yourselves?" he asked politely.

"Yes, of course," Luke replied with a nod.

"Excellent," the elder man repeated, his wide sleeves skimming the floor as he bowed in acknowledgement. "I shall return in one hour."

"Ironic, isn't it?" Mara commented once they were alone. "In Zembuhl, we were given no choice but to share a bedroom, even though we weren't married. Now that we are, we are sequestered in separate rooms. I wonder what his reaction would've been if I'd insisted on staying in your room?" she added with a wink.

"Let's not rock the ship," Luke replied seriously. "We're on shaky enough ground as it is, arriving this late."

Mara turned to enter her own quarters when a sudden thought gave her pause. Surely Luke wouldn't be so insistent about not doing anything to jeopardize our unmarried cover story that he wouldn't ... we couldn't ...

"You won't be able to keep me away," Luke said, his tone now laced with laughter. "As Han would say, we'll just have to be real sneaky-like."

Mara looked back over her shoulder just in time to catch his wide grin before his door shut with a soft thud.

A half hour later, Luke tapped lightly on Mara's door and, receiving her silent invitation to enter, stepped into the common room. His eyes took in the small room – not as elegant as his suite, but comfortable and tastefully decorated. It hadn't taken him long to shower and change, so he wasn't surprised that she wasn't ready yet. He was standing before a gilded mirror near her door, combing his hair back with his fingers, when Mara cleared her throat from across the room.

"Getting vain on me?" she quipped.

Luke turned to face her and didn't even attempt to hide his smile as he saw his wife leaning against the bedchamber's doorway, clad only in a silky robe.

"Just, uh, checking to see if I looked all right." He straightened his floor-length cloak so it hung evenly over his shoulders. "So what do you think?" he asked, giving her a little grin.

"You look as calm and collected as when I saw you at Jabba's."

"That bad, huh?"

Mara's musical laughter acted as a soothing balm to his jittery nerves. After being mistaken for a mere apprentice by the regent's aide, Luke was determined to epitomize a true Jedi Knight.

"Surely the Lorrdians won't throw you to the rancor," Mara said, leaning her head to one side as she began towel drying her hair.

"Or the sarlacc," Luke added with a chuckle.

"You do have a habit of encountering things that want to swallow you," she pointed out.

"Yeah, from a dianoga to a wampa to a tribe of Ewoks." Luke frowned to himself. There had been a lot of creatures trying to eat him over the past few years.

"You must taste good," Mara purred, coming closer and running one hand down the front of his tunic. "Let me check." They kissed slowly and tenderly before Mara pulled back with obvious reluctance. "As much as I'd like to continue this all night, we're due to dine with the Regent soon, and only one of our robes is sufficiently Jedi-ish," she said, glancing at her own attire.

"Nothing he serves could be as delicious as you," Luke murmured, sighing as she slipped from his arms. He busied himself looking over the datapad of negotiation outlines until Mara's voice from the adjoining bedchamber interrupted his reading.

"Luke, we've got a problem."

"What kind of problem?" he asked, automatically reaching out with the Force to scan for any danger, but finding nothing.

"Just get in here and you'll find out," was the impatient reply.

With an effort, Luke managed to stifle any suggestive comments as he discovered Mara standing in the middle of the room, hands on her hips and wearing only her undergarments. Instead he followed her gaze toward what seemed to be every article from her luggage spread across the top of her bed.

Mara bit her bottom lip worriedly, her eyes darting from one garment to the next. "I have nothing to wear," she finally declared matter-of-factly.

Struggling to understand what was apparently obvious to Mara, Luke opened and closed his mouth several times, then shrugged his shoulders in defeat. "I give up. Is this some sort of test?"

"Look!" Mara cried, waving a hand across the clothes-strewn bed. "Do you see anything that even remotely resembles...," she tugged impatiently on the hem of Luke's tabard, "this?"

"Why—" Luke began, but Mara cut him off.

"I'm supposed to be— I am your Jedi apprentice. I should dress like you."

"Mara, sweetheart," Luke soothed, touching her arm lightly. "This isn't some kind of Jedi uniform that you have to copy."

"That's what I've heard you call it," she countered.

"Well, yes, but..." Luke paused, trapped. He knew she was right in that regard. He had referred to his black tunic and trousers as his 'uniform.' "That doesn't mean it is." He glanced down at himself and frowned. "In fact, it's nothing like what Ben or Master Yoda wore."

"So why do you wear it constantly?" Mara challenged. "I've seen the inside of your closet, farmboy. Nearly your entire wardrobe is of a similar pattern."

"I guess I just like it," Luke admitted with a shy smile. "At first I thought it made me look ..."

"Dashing?" Mara supplied, her eyes twinkling.

Luke shook his head. "Older," he corrected. "It seemed ... appropriate."

"You don't worry that others might perceive you as emulating Vader?"

"Maybe dressing like my father is appropriate for me." He shrugged, smiling wanly. "But that doesn't mean you need to dress like me. And...," he glanced at his chrono, "it's getting late, so let's pick out something that feels 'appropriate' for you."

In the end, they chose a hunter-green tunic, with a darker green vest and matching leggings. While Mara dressed, Luke slipped back to his room, returning shortly with a dark gray hooded cloak.

"You just happened to have an extra cloak?"

"I knew you were coming, and I had already pronounced you to be my Jedi apprentice." He grinned as he draped it over her shoulders. "Call it wishful thinking that you wouldn't kill me before I could give it to you."

"I always did think you were way too optimistic for your own good," she retorted, even as she studied her reflection in the room's full-length mirror.

Prime Aide Urpri-Meend arrived right on schedule. Evidently Luke and Mara's new attire satisfied his notion of what a proper Jedi should look like, as he continually nodded his clear approval. The trio attracted a good deal of notice as they traversed the magnificent, tree-lined promenade that connected the ambassadorial wing to the regent's official residence. Lorrdians appeared out of nowhere along their route, waving their arms animatedly in obvious excitement.

"They've been awaiting your arrival for some time," Meend explained, his arms sweeping out to encompass the crowd of agitated well-wishers.

Mara peered out from under her hood, wondering at the amount of attention which seemed to be directed solely at Luke. On Coruscant she'd witnessed firsthand both grateful citizens pumping his hand, thanking him for their liberation, and females fawning over him as if he were a god. But this display went well beyond simple ogling of a hero. Lorrd had had very little trouble with Imperial occupation, yet these people were acting like he was their personal savior.

"I didn't realize negotiations with the new government of the Republic would be anticipated so fervently," Luke commented to their escort, resolutely ignoring the exuberant adulation. *If the Regent is half this enthusiastic,* he sent silently to Mara, *the trade talks should be a piece of ryshcate.*

"They are jubilant that the New Republic honored them by sending a Jedi Knight as a representative," Meend explained. "Ah, here we are."

Luke and Mara looked up to take in as much of the palace of the Crown Regent as they could from their vantage point outside the side entrance. Magnificent spires overlaid with glittery red tiles reflected the waning glow of sunset. Four-meter-tall double doors, covered in bright gold, stood out boldly against the rich burgundy of the building's walls. Flowering plants in a kaleidoscope of colors spilled over from a myriad of jewel-encrusted window boxes. As accustomed as she had been with the hanging gardens and crystal roofs of Coruscant's Imperial Palace, Mara quickly decided that this was the gaudiest edifice she'd ever seen.

The uniformed doormen of the palace were not the solemn type usually found standing at attention in royal palaces, but rather gaily-dressed, lively thespians who greeted them with a pantomimed salutation. The stroll through the stately corridors to the Grand Dining Hall was less crowded, but the courtiers and servants who did appear were no less animated. As the large, ornate doors swung open, the scene inside the vast chamber was even more surreal.

A trio of musicians was tucked into one corner, their rousing tunes accompanying a troupe of flamboyant dancers who cavorted about the outer perimeter of the room. Their limbs gesticulated wildly while their painted faces contorted in amazingly accurate depictions of species from across the galaxy. Watching them was a diverse group of people seated around a long, oval dining table. They included men and women dressed in military uniforms, robes of state, civilian clothes, and elegant finery. A tall man in brocade robes looked up sharply, then allowed a guarded smile to appear on his face as the trio of newcomers approached. Mara estimated he was probably in his fifties; subtle age lines decorated his dark brown skin, and gray was sprinkled liberally though his once-jet black hair.

"Excellency, may I present Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker, ambassador from the Alliance to Restore the Republic, and his padawan, Mara Jade," Meend announced, bowing low. He straightened, then addressed the cloaked figures accompanying him. "Jedi Skywalker and Padawan Jade," he held out a hand to indicate the now-rising gentleman, "His Excellency, Crown Regent Pard-and-Rand Ke'lor-Mise."

Luke drew back his hood, then bowed in acknowledgment. "It is our honor to meet you, Your Excellency. May I offer my sincerest apologies for our delayed arrival."

"Your safety is of greater consequence than your punctuality," the Regent responded, waving off the apology. "It has been many years since we've been honored by the presence of a Jedi on Lorrd."

"We thank you for the opportunity to conduct negotiations on behalf of Mon Mothma and the New Republic," Luke answered.

Mara noticed that Regent Ke'lor didn't seem to be taken off-guard by Luke's appearance. Either the black does make him look older, she thought, or Meend already informed the ruler on what to expect.

"Oh, yes, yes, the negotiations." The Regent paused, stroking his neatly trimmed beard in contemplation. "I suppose we shall deal with that tomorrow."

Mara glanced at Luke as Meend ushered them to their respective seats. *Isn't that the reason we're here?*

*Of course,* he sent back, not looking at her. *Remember to school your expressions. Lorrdians are extremely adept at reading the slightest twitch.*

*I know, I know,* Mara huffed. She nodded graciously as she was introduced to her table companions – Madame Ke'lor-Ola, the Regent's wife, to her left, and to her right was Coena, their older daughter. As unobtrusively as she could, Mara took in the locations of the others around her. The Crown Regent sat alone at the head of the table, with Luke in a place of honor to his left. Next to Luke, and directly across from Mara, was the Regent's younger daughter Jahnna, a lively girl who looked like she'd just entered her teens. On the other side of her sat a heavy-set man who alternated between scowling at being placed next to a bubbly teenager, and gloating to everyone else at the table that he'd been selected to sit so near the royal family. A mixture of military and state officials filled the remaining seats, and Mara followed Luke's lead in acknowledging each as they were introduced.

The music playing in the background lowered as servants brought out the first course of the meal, but the dancers continued their histrionics, mutely performing a regalement of parodies for the esteemed guests. Dinner conversation began with polite inquiries into the well-being of the Jedi after their ship malfunctions, but it wasn't long before the youngest diner brazenly piped up with questions that had apparently been burning in her mind ever since she was informed that the galaxy's only Jedi Knight was coming to Lorrd.

"Is it true that you blew up both Death Stars, and killed the Emperor and Darth Vader all by yourself?" Jahnna asked Luke, her dark eyes wide with wonder.

"No, most of the stories you've heard are gross exaggerations," Luke explained patiently.

"Really?" the young woman said. "Perhaps, if you say so, since Jedi aren't supposed to lie." She smiled with unabashed admiration. "Certainly the rumor that you were as old as Father was an exaggeration. Why, you can't be much older than me."

"Jahnna, allow Jedi Skywalker time to taste his meal without bombarding him with questions," Madame Ke'lor admonished.

"Yes, mother," the girl dutifully murmured. Her downcast eyes brightened, however, as the surrounding performers launched into a new dramatization. She joined the others at the table in watching as one of the female dancers, clad in a brightly colored feathered costume, assumed the role of a prisoner of two of her male counterparts.

"This enactment is one of my favorites," Coena informed Mara. "It is an ancient Firrerreon legend in which Sung-Gi, a princess, is kidnapped from her clan."

Mara followed the artfully choreographed movements, her attention now caught by a young male performer who boldly battled the princess' captors. "Let me guess," she ventured to her table companion. "The handsome prince rescues the princess, and they live happily ever after."

"Yes!" Coena exclaimed. "I think it's very romantic, no matter how many times I've seen it."

"I'm sure it is," Mara agreed. *Except when the princess turns out to be the prince's long-lost sister,* she sent silently across the table, mentally smirking as Luke rolled his eyes in exasperation. Mara chuckled inwardly when he chided her for making him lose his calm façade.

"I'll bet you could rescue a princess," Jahnna piped up to Luke, heedless of her mother's earlier warning.

Luke blinked. Apparently the entire galaxy didn't know of his early heroics on board the first Death Star. "Well ..."

"Do you have a girlfriend?" the young girl prattled on, not giving him a chance to respond. "Do you think you'll ever get married? Will your children automatically be Jedi Knights also?"

Regent Ke'lor frowned as he caught the questioning of his younger offspring. "Child, clearly you weren't paying attention when I was informing you of the history of the Jedi. It is not their way to fall in love and marry. In fact, it is forbidden to them."

Luke, unfortunately, had just taken a large bite of sautéed deur steak at the moment of Regent Ke'lor's pronouncement. All eyes turned his way as he coughed loudly, raising his napkin to his mouth as he struggled not to choke.

"Jahnna only remembers the parts of her lessons that she wants to," her sister put in, laughing. "She has a drawing of a young Jedi Knight wielding his lightsword tacked above her bed."

The younger princess forged ahead, giving her meddlesome sister a glare before turning back to the object of her attention. "Is that true, Jedi Skywalker? You're not allowed to marry, ever?"

"Uhh ..."

"Why, Master," Mara interjected smoothly from across the table, "you failed to mention that directive during my training." Though her words were light, the unsettled feelings she was sending to Luke were anything but.

"Didn't want to scare you off," Luke mumbled, lowering his napkin.

Madame Ke'lor reached across the table to lay a hand on Luke's arm, her many rings sparkling under the room's lights. "Is there any chance you'll end the practice of taking infants from their families to begin Jedi training?" she asked. "It always tore at my heart, knowing those poor children never knew their families."

"Ola, my dear," the Regent interjected, "the Jedi Order became their families. Emotional attachments would have been detrimental to a Jedi's commitment to the galaxy."

Mara could feel Luke tensing inside, though his outward appearance remained calm and serene. Wondering how he would respond, it was all she could do not to stare as Luke cleared his throat and collected his thoughts.

"During the Old Republic, there were tens of thousands of Jedi Knights," Luke explained, addressing all those within earshot. "Their teachings may not be practical, or possible, for future generations of Jedi."

"You intend to forsake the Jedi Order's directives?" asked Regent Ke'lor, a worried expression lining his face.

"The Jedi Order," Luke said, looking the elder man straight in the eye, "currently consists of two members. If Force-strong candidates are to be found and recruited, adjustments to the teachings and training methods will undoubtedly be necessary."

"But you yourself, were you not trained by a Master of the Old Order?" asked Admiral Gorra, joining the conversation.

"I was," Luke confirmed. "I began my training under Obi-Wan Kenobi. After his death ..." Luke paused, and Mara caught the brief surge of his emotion before he continued. "I eventually continued under the tutelage of Master Yoda."

"Master Yoda!" the admiral exclaimed. "He lives?"

"No," Luke replied quietly. "He died about four standard months ago."

Jahnna suddenly broke her temporary silence, bringing the conversation back to her mother's earlier concern. "Did you begin your training as a baby, Jedi Skywalker?"

Luke shook his head, laughing. "No, I was eighteen before I'd even heard of the Force."

Gasps of shock sounded from around the long table.

"But that means ..." Viceroy Blin-Ars, a rotund man who'd been introduced as deputy of Lorrd's southern continent, faltered as he tried to put his consternation into words. "How old are you, Sir Knight, if I may ask?"

"Twenty-three standard years," Luke answered truthfully. Mara sensed that Luke suspected, as she did, where the question was leading.

"So you've only trained for five years?" the viceroy blurted out incredulously, his heavy-set jowls wobbling. "And yet you claim to be a full-fledged knight, with a padawan of your own, no less? Impossible!"

Mara's hand clenched around her fork, her knuckles threatening to turn white. How dare that pompous so-and-so question Luke's credentials? She flicked her eyes across the table as Luke sent a silent command of 'Calm down.'

"I use only the title promised me by Master Yoda," Luke responded to his denouncer. "Earned after I confronted Darth Vader."

"And well-earned, to be sure," Regent Ke'lor pronounced, making an undecipherable gesture to the subordinate viceroy. "Your accomplishments leave no doubt of your abilities. I apologize for Viceroy Blin's outburst."

"No offense taken," Luke reassured the monarch. He then turned to the chastised official. "Viceroy, I realize I may not be what some people expect when thinking of a Jedi Knight, but I assure you that I am striving to uphold the values of the Jedi Order, and I take very seriously my responsibility to restore the Order as protectors of the galaxy."

"Will you soon be ready for your trials, Mara?" Coena asked Mara as the tone of the dinner conversation settled down.

"Trials?"

"Close to completing your training?" the girl rephrased.

"Well ..." Mara looked across the table at Luke, relieved that he seemed to be following Coena's questioning. "My master would be the best one to answer that query."

"She's closer than she thinks," Luke answered with a smile.

"It is unusual, is it not, for a padawan to be of a like age to her master?"

Luke looked over Jahnna's head to reply to the viceroy's inquiry. "Indeed, but there isn't much we can do about our ages. I was the one who was trained as a Jedi. When I discovered that Mara was also strong in the Force, I offered to share my knowledge with her. She was willing to make the commitment to the Jedi Order, so she became my apprentice. As other possible candidates are found, she and I will recruit new students to join us. It will be a slow process, I know, but a worthwhile one. As I said before, we don't have the luxury right now of pairing up teams of teachers and students based on age and gender."

The viceroy conceded the point to Luke with a not-too-gracious "Humph!" The rest of the dinner proceeded in much the same manner, with Luke and Mara doing their best to fend off the inquisitive probes of their hosts.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

As soon as the Jedi, the Regent's family, and all other extraneous guests had departed the dining hall, the war council reconvened.

"Now what are we going to do?" blustered Viceroy Blin-Ars, slapping the table loudly. "He's little more than a boy! A barely trained boy!"

"Trained by Yoda himself, don't forget," countered Admiral Gorra-Vodma.

General Chukla-Bref shook his head in dissent. "We have no proof of how extensive his training was. We need to test him ourselves."

"Test him how, Bref?" the admiral asked. "You expect him to just perform for us?"

"Why not?" the general countered. "Asking for a demonstration of his Jedi skills should not be that out of line."

"It would," insisted the admiral. "Jedi are notoriously reticent to put on 'shows' of their powers."

"But do they not need to regularly practice those skills?" Colonel Pimar-Archa put in. "And does he not have a padawan to train? We should graciously offer him the use of a workout room, then observe his expertise."

"Gentlemen," the Regent said quietly, "I think you are overlooking the fact that it is his leadership and command skills that we need. Above all, his ability to direct our pilots through the use of the Force."

"But, Excellency," General Chukla said. "Even if he is able to lead our forces to victory in this current crisis, what happens the next time the Agzardans rise up against us? Can we rely on the galaxy's only Jedi to come running every time we call?"

The colonel waved a hand dismissively. "Simple. We don't allow him to leave."

"One does not 'simply' keep a Jedi hostage," Admiral Gorra contended. "We cannot hold the promise of a trade agreement with the New Republic over his head indefinitely."

"Are we forgetting that Skywalker is not the only Jedi here?" declared the general. "If he will not become our patron Jedi, perhaps his apprentice will."

Viceroy Blin-Ars threw up his pudgy hands in disgust. "She has less experience than he does!"

"All the more reason to allow him the opportunity to finish her training as soon as possible," reasoned Colonel Pimar. "And I distinctly overheard her telling Miss Coena that she was well acquainted with all types of fighter craft."

"True," Meend spoke up from his seat behind the regent. "She was piloting the ship that they arrived in."

"She will not willingly stay here any more than he would," the viceroy scoffed.

"She might with the right incentive," General Chukla mused. "She is an attractive young woman. Surely we can provide a suitor to lure her into making Lorrd her home."

"Were you not listening at dinner?" Admiral Gorra berated his fellow conspirator. "Do you know no more about the Jedi than His Excellency's younger daughter? They are immune to such involvement."

"Are you so sure of that, Vodma?" rebuffed the general. "The noble knight nearly choked when it was mentioned that Jedi cannot marry, and the girl was visibly shaken. I tell you, they were as surprised as Miss Jahnna."

"Are we discounting the possibility that the Jedi and his padawan may already be involved with each other?" the colonel noted.

"For a master to make any type of romantic overtures to a student would be cause for expulsion from the Jedi Order," the Regent declared.

"But as they themselves pointed out," said the colonel, "they are the Jedi Order. Skywalker made it clear that adjustments to the teachings of the old order will be necessary."

"I saw no evidence of an amorous liaison between Knight Skywalker and Padawan Jade," Meend testified. "She especially was most agreeable to their having separate accommodations."

Regent Ke'lor sighed in resignation. "Very well. Meend, find a suitable match among your staff to escort the padawan. However," he raised a hand authoritatively, "make certain he understands he is to be the model of decorum. The last thing we want to do is alienate either of the Jedi by being too obtrusive."

"As you say, my lord," the aide replied, smiling. "I have the perfect person in mind."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Later that night, as Mara sat brushing her hair at her mirrored vanity, she could see Luke stretched out on the bed behind her. Clothed only in his sleep-pants, he had found one of the elastic bands she used to fasten her hair and was distractedly shooting it at the ceiling, then calling it back to his hand and repeating the motion over and over.

"Luke," she said, not turning around. "I know it's eating at you that the Lorrdians know more Jedi history than you do, but if you're going to sulk all night, you can go back to your own quarters."

He stopped suddenly and his eyes flickered toward her profile. "You want me to leave?"

"What do you think?" she snapped sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

"I'm not sulking," he muttered, sending the band to the top of her vanity.

Mara shook her head, then padded over to the bed and lay down beside him.

"Here I'm supposed to be this great Jedi, hero to the galaxy, and school girls here are more knowledgeable of the Jedi than I am," he complained, a whining tone creeping into his voice.

"For what it's worth, I though you did a good job covering up your ignorance."

Luke turned his head and gave her a 'Thanks a lot' grimace.

"Listen," she continued. "You only trained a few months with Yoda. There wasn't time to learn everything."

"He wasn't shy about spouting all kinds of other platitudes in my ear as I carried him around the swamp." He rolled onto his side to face her. "Maybe I should borrow a Jedi history book while I'm here."

"So you can find out how much you're doing wrong? What are you going to do then? Dissolve our marriage? Look for a younger apprentice?"

"Of course not." Luke pulled her toward him, kissing her softly. "Aren't some rules made to be broken?"

"Humph." Mara trailed her fingers down his side. "Do you suppose that was partially to blame for the Jedi's downfall?"

"What?"

"I know Palpatine was the main reason. I'm not disputing that. But what if in-house squabbling could have contributed to their inability to defend themselves from the Empire? Perhaps rebellion against their own strict customs weakened the Jedi Order."

"Or even caused some to turn to the dark side," Luke murmured. "Perhaps my father wasn't married to my mother. I had just assumed ..."

"Or perhaps they married in defiance of the laws," Mara added. The last thing she wanted was another reason for Luke to feel sorry for himself. "Did it ever occur to you that there was a reason Yoda and Obi-Wan omitted all these tidbits of wisdom? Maybe they didn't intend for you to know them. Maybe 'pass on what you have learned' translated into 'pass on only what we've taught you.'"

"Why would they deliberately hide teachings from me?"

"I'd say it was because they finally realized that not every rule of the old Order was a good one. Think about it. If it was so important for a Jedi to begin training as a baby, why didn't Ben just take you to Dagobah to grow up, instead of having you live with the Larses? Or why didn't he at least send you to Yoda right after Yavin, instead of waiting three more years?"

"I've wondered that myself," Luke admitted.

"Maybe because even a Jedi needs the structure and love of a family, needs real-life experience out in the galaxy, instead of being cloistered away in some temple all the while he's growing up."

"It sounded like the Jedi took their padawans out in the galaxy to gain experience," he countered, frowning.

"But Ben or Yoda couldn't do that with you, could they? Han and Leia and the rest of the Rebellion were your substitute teachers in that regard."

"But by the time I did get to Dagobah, Yoda said I was too old to begin Jedi training."

"Clearly he was just messing with your mind, wanting you to be that much more determined to work hard. Didn't you tell me that just before he died, Yoda said you already knew everything you needed to?"

"Yes."

"See? He and Kenobi decided they didn't want you to know all the do's and don'ts that Jedi had followed blindly for generations. They trusted your judgment in making up a new set of rules as you went along."

"That was a lot to dump on me."

"Yes, it was. But I believe you're up to the task, Luke Skywalker. This is not something to be done overnight. You should spend as much time as necessary easing into the Jedi Master role. Luckily, you have a very patient apprentice."

Luke looked up at the word 'patient,' arching an eyebrow questioningly.

Mara ignored him and continued. "Odds are, a lot of the rules you decide will be the same, or similar, to what your predecessors had. In other cases ..." She stroked his cheek softly. "If you'd known Jedi weren't supposed to marry, would you still have proposed?"

"I ..." Luke faltered, emotions swirling on his face. "Yes, I would have."

"Good." She kissed him soundly, relishing the feel of his arms around her. "But I know you. You would have been plagued with guilt nevertheless."

"You're probably right."

"Of course I am. I'm always right."

"And we were right to marry." He slipped a strap of her nightgown down, brushing his lips against her soft shoulder. "Speaking of being married, isn't it about our four-day anniversary? Surely that still qualifies us as being on our honeymoon."

"Skywalker, I intend for us to treat every night as our honeymoon for the rest of our lives ..."

===================================================

The Skywalkers rose early the next morning, as Luke deemed they needed to allow extra time to review the trade agreement material once more before the long-awaited negotiations began after breakfast. Plus, he had rationalized to Mara, it would be much easier to slip back into his own suite before the housekeeping staff began their morning routine.

Mara showered quickly and had just finished dressing when her danger sense flickered. Without thinking she reached out for Luke's presence and found him calm, albeit preoccupied. Still in his own shower, most likely. She picked up her lightsaber and moved to the common room, on alert. Something—no, someone—was approaching. Several someones, in fact, and they all felt familiar.

Mara didn't have long to ponder the mystery, as her door slid open a split second later. She ignited her saber and stood ready, but relaxed her grip when Han Solo, of all people, stepped into her suite, followed by Leia Organa. Confusion flowed through Mara at what they were doing here, followed by annoyance that they had broken into her room, back to confusion as she took note of the blasters sported by the pair, aimed right at her.

"Don't move, Jade," Han ordered, stepping further into the open space, his blaster never wavering. Leia stood next to him, her face a mask of determination.

Mara started to respond when two more beings crept in, moving to flank the other side of her – Lando Calrissian and Chewbacca, both pointing the business ends of their weapons at her.

"What is going on?" Mara growled, automatically falling into a combat stance as she waved her lit saber between the foursome that now had her surrounded.

"We're going to have a little chat," Leia announced. She glanced at Han, and Mara saw him mouth the question 'Luke?' to Leia. The brunette shook her head, eyes darting back to fixate on Mara. "I think he's nearby, but not here. He's all right."

Mara made a move toward Leia when a snarl behind her stopped her cold. She could hear the clicking sound of a bowcaster being cocked.

"Princess ..., Solo ..." Mara's eyes flicked warily between the two, and her grip tightened on her lightsaber. "Are you going to let me in on what's happening, or am I supposed to guess?"

"I think you know, Jade," Han bit out.

Enough was enough, and Mara sent out a mental shout.

Luke was just turning off the water valve when Mara's call came though.

*Luke!*

*Yes?*

"Get over here!*

*Can't decide what to wear again, or just can't get enough of me?* He smiled to himself as he recalled the previous night. This Jedi did 'know passion.' Luke's daydreaming of Mara was cut short as a mixture of frustration and anger flowed to him through their Force bond. He grabbed a towel and began to dry off. What had he done? *Okay, I'll be right—*

*Now, Skywalker!*

The urgency in her tone made Luke pull on his tunic and trousers right over bare, wet skin, nearly tripping in the process. This was no ordinary ranting at him. Something was wrong. Seriously wrong.

Luke reached out with the Force, and abruptly he could feel other presences surrounding Mara. Leia! Leia was there, and Han, and ... What in blazes? Luke flew out the door, snatching his lightsaber on the way, and burst into Mara's room. His eyes widened at the sight that greeted him. Mara stood defiantly in the center of the room, her ignited lightsaber held two-handed, waving it back and forth at Han and Leia, who had their blasters pointed at Mara.

Han jerked slightly at Luke's sudden entry, but Leia seemed unshaken, her eyes riveted on Mara.

Luke clutched his saber hilt, not ready to ignite it yet. "Mara, what are you doing?" Even as the words left his mouth, he took note that Lando and Chewie, standing behind Mara, also had weapons trained on her.

"Me?!" Mara shrieked. "What makes you assume this is my doing?"

Ignoring Mara's outburst, Luke turned his attention to his sister and friend. "Han, Leia, what's going on? What are you doing here?"

"She's dangerous." Leia's sober voice had the same businesslike tone she used when addressing Rebel troops.

"We're rescuing you, kid." Han gestured in Mara's direction with his head. "From her."

"But I don't need rescu—" he stopped short, pushing wet hair out of his eyes as Leia's statement registered with him. "What are you talking about?" Finally igniting his blade but keeping it pointed down, he moved to stand directly between Leia and his wife. Without prompting, Mara swiveled to face her other two aggressors, her back now pressed against Luke's.

"Luke, please," Leia implored. For the first time, her blaster wavered. "You don't understand."

"No, I don't. Enlighten me."

"She's been lying to you. She's an Imperial. She was before you met her, and she still is."

"Luke, be sensible," Lando called out from behind him. "There are four of us."

"You're the one who needs to come to his senses, Calrissian," Mara grated out, waving her lightsaber threateningly. "You wouldn't stand a chance—"

"Mara!" Luke barked. Abruptly, Mara's weapon snapped off.

"Hey!" she cried indignantly, whirling to glare at her husband.

"This has gone too far," he returned. Luke reached out with one hand and plucked the blaster out of Leia's grasp. "We're going to sit down and discuss this like civilized beings."

"Not till she puts down that lightsaber," Han vowed, staring at the redhead warily.

Luke reached back, pulled the unlit hilt out of Mara's hand, and tossed it on a nearby chair, along with his own. Power cells from Han and Lando's blasters popped out, and the bowcaster's ammo cartridge of quarrels fell to the floor with a dull thud.

"Now, we sit."

*What happened before I got here?* Luke sent silently to Mara as the group reluctantly began settling themselves on and around the room's couch and chairs. Leia's obscure warning over the comm now became ominously clear.

*I walked out here after my shower,* Mara returned, not looking his way as she sank into a conform chair next to his, *the door slid open and they rushed in, blasters raised. I did not provoke them.*

*I didn't say you did.* Luke glanced briefly at Leia, poised regally on the couch between Han and Lando, then directed his next question aloud to Han. "All right, now what's this about?"

"Ask her." Han stared at Mara, meeting her defiant glare.

"I'm asking you," Luke returned, his voice chilling and flat.

"She lied about being a dancer, Luke," Leia answered before Han could reply. "She's an Imperial agent."

"I believe you already mentioned that." Luke leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. He mentally cursed the annoying creaking of the furniture's musan-leather covering, which seemed to mock the gravity of the situation. "And it's absurd. What I'm waiting to hear is what gave you such an idea."

"They have vivid imaginations," Mara put in, shrugging her shoulders as she nonchalantly twirled a curl of still-damp hair.

"Luke, we know about her mission on Tatooine," Leia said, her eyes pleading with Luke for understanding. "It wasn't hard to figure out why she came to Jabba's."

Luke could feel Mara's emotions spike with sudden apprehension. It appeared their carefully woven deception had come unraveled. "But she didn't carry through with it," he countered desperately, sitting upright and patting his chest. "I'm still alive, aren't I? She was the most skilled assassin Palpatine had. If she'd truly wanted to kill me, I'd be dead."

Everyone stared at Mara in sudden shock, reaching once more for their weapons.

"Assassin!" Leia exclaimed, echoing her companions' surprise. "She was there to assassinate you?!"

Reflexively, Luke waved a hand and the blasters and bowcaster flew to land at his feet. "You said you knew why she was there," he mumbled, a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"They just thought they knew," Mara snapped, giving him an exasperated grimace.

"We assumed that she was only a spy," Leia murmured. "That she was there to lead the Empire to us—to watch until we'd all arrived, then call in the stormtroopers to capture us."

"Only a spy? I'm crushed." Mara slouched back in her chair once more, her tone seething with impertinence. "You place more importance on yourselves than you deserve, Your Highness. Didn't Bespin teach you anything? Skywalker was the only threat that Palpatine worried about."

Han edged forward in his seat, and Luke could sense his friend's fingers itching to curl around the familiar handgrip of his blaster. "Vader wasn't able to kill Luke on Bespin, so the Emperor sent you to do the job?"

Leia's eyes narrowed accusingly at her brother. "Luke, how long have you known this?"

"She told me soon after I met her," the Jedi grumbled, his initial embarrassment at inadvertently revealing the truth now dissolving into irritation at his sister and friends. "A few days before I convinced her to escape with me."

"Convinced her?" Han snorted derisively. "Didn't it occur to you it was all a trap? Kid, you are way too trusting."

"They already had me! Why would she help me escape?"

"How about for the same reason Tarkin and Vader let us escape from the first Death Star? So you'd lead her right to the Rebellion's doorstep." Han shook his head. "You never learn, do ya?"

Luke was grateful to Han for giving him something to smile inwardly about, even for a moment. It was a full standard month after Yavin before Han had swallowed his pride and admitted their escape had been a set-up. Chewie's discovery of the homing beacon on the Falcon's hull was a technicality he hadn't been able to ignore. The Wookiee's soft wuffing from his spot behind the couch confirmed that he'd caught the humor in Han's words, too.

"Was it Vader or Palpatine who engineered that whole mock escape attempt?" Leia continued the argument, glaring at Mara. Luke winced at the casual disregard for their father, but Leia didn't seem to be in any mood to sympathize with him.

If it was possible, Mara's eyes turned even colder. "I never took orders from Vader."

"She wasn't pretending to help me," Luke insisted, cutting into the thick tension in the room. "Mara betrayed the Emperor; broke free of his control over her." He gripped the arms of the chair, the knuckles of his left hand turning white. "Do you realize how much willpower that took?"

"Luke, you've already confirmed her to be Imperial. Nobody does that quick of an about face," Leia seethed.

"How can you say that?! How can you of all people say that?" Luke nearly catapulted from his chair until he felt Mara overloading his senses with waves of calmness. "Our own father—"

"That was different," Leia retorted, refusing to back down. "He turned because he loved you, and only because he loved you. He couldn't stand by and see Palpatine murder you." She suddenly eyed both Luke and Mara warily as if the wild rumors about the pair were puzzle pieces that just fell into place. "Are you saying you two became lovers while you were a prisoner, and that's why she helped you?"

"No!" Luke denied the accusation vehemently before the fire drained out of him and he rubbed his temples wearily. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Lando raise an eyebrow in Chewie's direction. Han's longtime pals knew of the dysfunctional Skywalker family relationship, but they'd rarely witnessed a full-blown spat between his sister and himself.

Mara took up the explanation. "Luke believed in me, and befriended me. Is that so hard to accept, Princess? Surely you realize what exceptional powers of persuasion your brother possesses."

Luke gave Mara a sideways glance, not sure if she was being sarcastic or sincere. He'd been so wrapped up in defending her that he hadn't noticed just when she'd put up nearly impenetrable barriers. Come to think of it, she was being incredibly composed through this whole confrontation.

"Half the Alliance consists of Imperial defectors," Luke continued, much calmer himself now. "General Madine, Tycho Celchu. Even Han used to be an Imperial officer. Why is Mara any different?"

"Madine and Tycho and Han weren't the Emperor's personal assassins," Leia countered. "Have you forgotten Shira Brie so soon?"

"Mara's nothing like Shira!" Luke ignored the chill he felt coming from his wife, remembering Mara's shock and wrath the day one of the Rogues casually mentioned the other Emperor's Hand's name. "You're acting like Mara's a cold-blooded killer who targeted only Jedi." He threw up his hands in a gesture of surrender. "You don't even know her."

"No, we don't," Han answered for all of them. "And neither do you." He stared hard at the cool redhead, lounging in her chair with her legs crossed in an unconcerned manner, one bare foot swaying up and down. "Maybe Miss Jade would like to tell us about all her meritorious assassinations."

Mara shot a questioning glance at Luke. His eyes flickered briefly at her before he answered with a soft "Go ahead."

"My targets were mainly traitors to the Empire – treasonous officers, crooked crimelords, renegade moffs. I rarely was sent after the few Jedi still alive, or any Rebels entrenched in your ranks. Lord Vader was given those assignments." Mara looked pointedly at Leia.

"And I suppose Luke was just an exception to the rule?" Leia shot back.

"Yes, he was," Mara answered smoothly. "After Bespin, the Emperor didn't trust Vader. He knew of Lord Vader's attempt to entice Skywalker into collaboration."

"How did he find out about that?" Luke asked, frowning. No one but his father and him had been present on that gantry on Cloud City, and Luke had never mentioned the exchange to anyone. He sincerely doubted that his father would have confessed his mutinous plans to the Emperor, either.

"He had his sources, Jedi," Mara replied.

Han glanced at Leia questioningly, and she shrugged. "Hold on," he interrupted, looking at Luke. "What attempt?"

Luke shifted in his chair, the chafing of his clothes against his wet skin not the only reason he was growing more and more uncomfortable. "Vader ... He wanted me to join with him in overthrowing Palpatine, and ruling—"

"Ruling the galaxy?" Han finished. "I hope you realized it was just another trick to lure you in."

"It wasn't a trick," Luke insisted. "He didn't approve of Palpatine's methods."

Han shook his head in resignation. "Were all Jedi this naive?" he asked no one in particular.

"All this aside," Leia began, "she tried to kill you at Jabba's. She should be taken into custody on that charge alone."

"She never got near me," Luke pointed out heatedly.

"She just admitted that her only purpose there was to assassinate you."

"You can't charge her without my consent." Luke crossed his arms in defiance. He was glad Leia was not sitting next to him. She had this habit of tenderly clasping his hands in hers when attempting—usually successfully—to 'change his stubborn mind,' as she put it. Looking at his sister's frustrated expression, he could well imagine her to be wishing that he was sitting within grasping range. This, though, was one subject in which he'd never think differently. "You can no more prosecute her than you could a TIE pilot for shooting down an X-wing, or a stormtrooper for killing a Rebel soldier. Mara was only following the orders given her by a superior, and her superior was Palpatine."

"The same could be said of Darth Vader," Leia rejoined. "Are you saying he was not responsible for the atrocities he committed?"

"Vader ... Father ... made the choice to carry out his actions. Mara was never allowed to have a choice. She was kidnapped as a child; all memory of her family was stolen from her. She was raised by Palpatine for the sole purpose of doing his bidding."

"Just remember all those arguments when Mon Mothma asks why you lied to protect an Imperial assassin," Han put in, to Luke's discomfort.

"Luke ..." Leia closed her eyes a moment, as if trying to come up with a new tactic. "Can we talk to you privately?"

"I have no secrets from Mara," he returned, wondering what his sister was up to now. His shameless attempt to convince the others to feel sorry for Mara seemed to have fallen on deaf ears.

"That's what I'm afraid of." Leia let a small sigh escape. "Do you discuss Alliance business with her? Confide in her regarding your missions?"

Luke narrowed his eyes, but didn't reply. His silence was enough of an answer.

"Does she try to draw out classified information from you? Does she have access to eyes-only documents you receive?"

"Just what are you implying here, Princess?" Mara bit out.

"Leia, she's not spying for anyone!" Luke's eyes blazed a deadly cobalt blue.

"Luke, we know you think Mara's your friend, but try to look at this objectively," Leia said, almost pleading. "She gains your confidence, worms her way into a position within the Alliance where she can study your files. She gets all chummy with you," Leia hesitated briefly, "maybe even seduces you so you'll let your guard down around her—"

"Now wait a minute!" Luke objected.

*She's got you there, lover,* Mara sent silently with a hint of strained humor. *I do enjoy seducing you, though I could use more practice.*

Luke shot Mara a warning frown, but she was already fixing Leia with a hard stare, her chin lifted defiantly.

"What Luke and I do or don't do in private is none of your business, Your Highness."

"When Mon Mothma questions us about whether you're really Luke's Jedi apprentice or just his lover, it becomes our business," Leia declared.

"Mon Mothma thinks we're ..." Luke groaned, leaning his head against the back of his chair and curling his bare toes in the fuzzy worl-weave carpet. What a mess! How could a morning that started out so pleasant go downhill so fast?

"I can't believe you, Luke," Han drawled. "Tell me, is this a Jedi-thing or a farmkid-thing, bedding your would-be killer?"

"What?!" Luke croaked.

"C'mon, quit denying it. You've been sleeping with her since you first met her."

"I have not!"

"Only a depraved mind like yours would believe rumors, Solo," Mara dismissed with a smirk. "Besides, Skywalker here is practically virginal."

Luke's jaw dropped down in shock. How could she say such a thing?

"She's just using you, kid," Han continued. "You're too trusting. You're so delighted to have someone to practice your hocus-pocus with, that you'll believe anything she tells you."

"And just what am I doing with these secrets that I'm supposedly prying out of him?" Mara said with a snort, as Luke was still too shell-shocked to reply. "The Empire's dead."

"No," Leia answered her. "Palpatine and Vader are dead, but the Empire's still kicking. We just need to figure out who you're working for."

"Look," Luke said loudly, drawing everyone's attention to him. He stood up, his steely gaze meeting the eyes of each of Mara's accusers in turn. "Mara is not going to kill me, she hasn't brainwashed me, and she's not stealing classified information for the Empire or anyone else. If you all would knock off the high and mighty attitude and give her a chance, you'd see that for yourselves." He glanced over his shoulder at Mara, then turned back. "I trust her," he continued softly. "I trust her with my life." He sat back down on the edge of his chair. *I trust her with my love,* he added silently so only the woman he'd pledged his devotion to could hear.

Mara sent a returning swell of love, but the next words she spoke were a caustic retort to his audience. "Save your breath, Skywalker. Apparently your assurances mean nothing to them."

It was Chewbacca who first voiced a reply to Luke's plea, coming from behind the couch to wrap one hairy arm around Luke's shoulders. [I trust the cub's judgment,] he rumbled. [We should give his friend the benefit of the doubt, until proof surfaces to show otherwise.]

"The benefit of the doubt?" Han protested. "Aw, Chewie, you're as gullible as he is." He turned to Mara, raising a finger in warning. "Listen, Jade. Just cause Chewie's given you his stamp of approval, doesn't mean the rest of us automatically go along with it. The big guy's been wrong before."

"Han ..." Leia took a deep breath, her intense scrutiny fixed on her brother and the stone-faced woman before her. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but perhaps Chewbacca is right. We have no proof that she's corroborating with any of the Imperial remnants, or that she's a danger to Luke. I guess I have a share of that Skywalker over-protectiveness in me, too. But, just to be safe, we will stay on Lorrd until the negotiations are completed, then accompany them back to Coruscant." Leia then focused her attention solely on Mara, "I expect you to make a full disclosure to Mon Mothma of your past Imperial ties. Do I make myself clear?"

"As transparisteel, Your Highness," Mara said coolly. "I assume you'll be revealing to Mothma your own blood ties to the Empire, hmm?"

"I ... I ..." Leia sputtered.

"That's none of your concern!" Han jumped to her defense.

"No, Han, she's right." Leia laid a hand on Han's arm, halting his outburst. She gazed across at her brother as he anxiously awaited her reaction. "Luke and I need to discuss that very subject. I can't expect everyone else to reveal all their secrets to High Command if I'm unwilling to do so as well."

Privately Luke felt relieved. Leia did need to unburden herself of the undeserved guilt she was bottling up inside herself.

Mara glanced at the decorative chrono hanging on one wall. "Skywalker, our escort to breakfast will be here soon," she reminded him. "And you look even less ready to go than I do." She glowered at the others. "So if everyone has run out of groundless accusations to throw at me, perhaps the Jedi and I can attend to the business we were sent here to conduct."

"All right, we get the hint," Han said gruffly. "But we're staying on Lorrd, got it?" He glanced at Luke. "Know any place we can bed down tonight?"

"Skywalker has a spare bedchamber in his suite," Mara spoke up quickly, eliciting a wave of annoyance from Luke. *If you want to pretend we're not married, you can go back to rooming with your sister,* she sent silently.

"You can't stay with me," Luke said, turning his attention to the others. "I'm supposed to be here alone."

"Yeah," Han said with a snort. "You followed that order real well, didn't ya?" He waved a hand dismissively. "Nobody'll notice us. We'll be real quiet."

"But ... but ..."

Chewie growled out a low mumble to Lando.

"So will I," he answered the Wookiee, then stood, looking at the others. "Chewie and I will stay on the Falcon. Han and Leia can have Luke's extra room."

"Wait a minute," Luke protested.

"It's settled then. Great." Han slapped his knees. "We'll just—"

A melodic chime interrupted Han's sentence, freezing everyone in their places.

"Sithspit! They're early," Mara bit out in a hushed tone. She drilled the unwanted visitors with a well-practiced glare. "Go hide in the bedroom."

Scooping up their weapons, the Falcon's crew quickly disappeared into the adjoining room. Luke slipped out of sight as well, listening silently as Mara answered the door.

"Good morning, Padawan Jade," a silky voice filtered in from the corridor. "I am Second Aide Serl-and-Jeem Vazan-Jayce. Prime Aide Meend has sent me to escort you and Jedi Skywalker to morning meal, but I did not receive a reply at Jedi Skywalker's quarters."

"Well, he's not over here," Mara was heard answering rather indignantly before softening her tone. "Perhaps he's meditating, or still in the shower." There was a pause, then she continued. "I'm not quite ready, either. If you could come back in, say, a quarter standard hour, I'm sure my master and I will both be ready."

"Of course, madam," the voice replied. "I apologize for my early arrival, and shall return as you wish."

The sound of the door sliding shut punctuated the end of the conversation. Mara didn't even look for Luke as she approached the bedchamber's doorway. "All right, out, all of you."

"You call Luke your master?" Leia asked, arching an eyebrow curiously. "Where did he go?" she added as she stepped back into the common room.

"He is training me in the ways of the Jedi," Mara returned, impatiently waving them toward the door. "And don't you think he's proficient enough in their skills that he can slip out unseen?"

Han bent and picked up a pillow from the bedchamber's floor, tossing it onto the bed. "Restless sleeper, Jade?" he said sarcastically, casting a suspicious glance at the rumpled bedcovers on both sides of the bed.

"Out," Mara repeated, forcefully tamping down the urge to throttle the man.

Lando and Chewbacca checked the outer corridor and signaled to their companions that the coast was clear. Trailing behind the others, Leia had just reached the door when Mara suddenly spoke up.

"So you say." Leia half-turned, her face a paragon of diplomatically-trained impassiveness. "But then, I wouldn't expect you to go around announcing your murder plans in advance. Especially to the victim's family." Leia gave her one last cool stare, then swept out the door after the others.

Mara sighed heavily as the door closed behind the troupe, a mixture of relief and frustration flowing through her. She unconsciously swept a worried gaze around her bedchamber, hoping that Luke hadn't left any personal articles lying about, then mentally chastised herself. Blazing stars, he was her husband.

Her husband who would soon be getting a piece of her mind.

"Coward."

The word stopped Luke cold, but Mara felt no sympathy. He had been reaching for his cloak from the foyer closet when she had silently slipped into his suite.

"If you don't tell them we're married, I will." Even as she said the words, Mara knew it was an empty threat. Revealing their marriage to his sister and friends was Luke's privilege, and responsibility. "Are you that afraid they won't approve?" she continued. "Do you fear they believe I bewitched you into trusting me?" She glared at the back of his tense frame, his clenched fists. "Or are you afraid yourself, deep down, that you've been so head over heels in love with me from day one that you'd believe anything I told you. That maybe I am still an Imperial, and you've been too blind to see it."

Luke slowly turned around to face her, his hands now hanging limp, and Mara knew he was willing himself to remain calm. He didn't speak, but instead opened his mind completely to her. The two of them had long ago dissolved the barriers between them, but now even the thin wall that kept their every thought from surfacing in the other's mind was gone. This was not like their Force bonding experiences. Luke forcibly thrust every thought, every belief, every memory of his into her mind.

Mara staggered slightly, overwhelmed by the sheer intensity of his power and by what he was revealing. She saw that even though he'd been lied to his whole life, he still believed her, and believed in her. And she saw that his trust hadn't wavered in the face of Han and Leia's accusations.

Luke slowly held out one hand to her. Mara noticeably trembled, feeling unshed tears glistening in her eyes. After several long, strained moments, she took his hand, and Luke pulled her into a fierce embrace. She buried her head on his shoulder, shame and regret preventing her from meeting his gaze.

"I'm so sorry, Luke," her muffled voice whispered. "I should never have doubted—"

"Shhh," Luke hushed, stroking her hair. "I'm the one that should be apologizing. I never meant to hurt you or belittle our relationship. It's just ... I want them to believe in you for your own merits, not because you're married to me. As soon as they accept you, then we'll ease into the wedding details."

"And if they never have a favorable opinion of me?"

"They will. I know they will." He lifted her chin, tenderly stroking her face. "How can they not, when you're the most intelligent, trustworthy, beautiful woman in the galaxy?"

"Humph," Mara muttered, letting a smile creep onto her countenance. "Calrissian you'll probably convince, talking like that, but your sister?"

"She will, too." Luke flashed her one of his most disarming smiles, almost immediately followed by a pathetic attempt at a glare. "By the way, I know you were irritated with me this morning, but did you have to tell them that I was practically ... you know ..."

Mara laughed lightly at his obvious embarrassment and hugged him tightly. "Sweetheart, you can count on one hand the number of times in your life that you've had sex. I hardly think that qualifies you as being promiscuous."

"Same number of times as you," he muttered, trying to look annoyed and again failing miserably.

"Ah, but no one was challenging my intimate experiences. I'm the wanton vixen who's taking advantage of the innocent Jedi solely to pry secrets out of him."

"You don't have to pry." Luke's blue eyes sparkled even in the dim light of the foyer. "Every trace of me is yours, down to the last smidgen."

All thoughts of a smart comeback evaporated as Mara melted into Luke's arms, their lips meeting in a nearly desperate joining, their hands clutching each other without reserve.

A resonant chime signaled that their escort had returned. Luke drew back reluctantly, gave Mara one last soft kiss, then pulled her hood into place. "C'mon," he said. "Let's go haggle for some norumite crystals for the New Republic, and then we can get down to the business of playing house together."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Trailing behind in what was Mara's usual spot, Luke followed every flirtatious overture that their newly assigned escort was making toward his wife. Granted, the overly zealous Second Aide Serl-and-Jeem Vazan-Jayce—or simply Jayce, as he insisted Mara should address him—didn't know that the beautiful padawan was already spoken for, but it still galled Luke to have to be a witness to the philandering display. Their earlier sojourn to breakfast had been bad enough; this return trip to the ambassadorial wing was downright painful for the young Jedi.

"I thank you for accompanying us," Luke said as they entered their building's glittery vestibule, putting as much graciousness into his tone as he could muster. He moved forward, deliberately forcing the aide to relinquish his grasp of Mara's elbow. "I believe we can find our own way to our rooms."

"As you wish, honored Knight," Jayce responded smoothly, his dark eyes remaining transfixed on Mara. "I shall return in one standard hour to show you to the training hall." He reached out and lifted Mara's hand to his lips. "May I say I am looking forward to serving you during the remainder of your stay. Not only has Lorrd been graced with the presence of noble Jedi, but also with one of the most breathtaking Jedi in the history of the Order."

Luke narrowed his eyes in barely restrained vexation as Jayce once more brushed a soft kiss against the back of Mara's hand.

Mara pulled back from her admirer when Luke began clearing his throat. "Thank you for all your assistance," she said.

"My pleasure, m'lady." The aide gave a flamboyant bow, holding it until his charges disappeared through the arched doorway.

"Sheesh. That guy is worse than Calrissian," Mara commented when she and Luke were finally alone.

"I'm glad you think so," Luke muttered.

"What? You think I enjoyed that?"

"You weren't exactly discouraging him." He glanced her way as they walked briskly down the statue-lined corridor, their heels clip-clopping lightly on the inlaid greel wood floor. "Are you going to have men chasing after you on every planet we go to? You could've warned me about this before I proposed."

"And miss seeing you squirm with jealousy?" Mara laughed in amusement.

"I wasn't jealous of the Prudens on Zembuhl," Luke said, reaching out to pull her close.

"Ah, so you admit to being resentful of Jayce's attention to me. Just because he's tall, dark, and handsome ..." She playfully kissed him on the cheek. "Surely jealousy leads to the dark side."

Luke finally let a little grin escape. "Only if I take my lightsaber to him." He paused as they reached the door to his suite, reaching out with the Force and sensing Mara do the same.

"I see they had no trouble breaking into your room, either," Mara said.

"Did you think they would?" Luke asked. "Han can hotwire just about anything."

"But how can they keep sneaking in here without anyone seeing them? Chewbacca especially should stick out like a Talz at a convention of Chadra-Fans."

"Have you seen anyone else around? Surely you've noticed we seem to have the entire wing to ourselves."

"I saw all the guards around the perimeter of the palace when we first arrived," she returned. "Explain how they get past them."

Luke shrugged nonchalantly and smiled. "What can I say? They're Rebels."

Mara replied with a melodramatic moan, then turned toward her own door. "Maybe I should—" she began, but Luke grabbed her arm.

"You can't avoid them forever." At her frown, he continued undaunted. "I asked them to accept you. That goes both ways. You can be civil, Mara. I want them to be as much your family and friends as mine." He squeezed her hand, then released it just before punching in his entry code and stepping through the doorway.

"Hey, kid!" Han greeted his younger friend.

"Making yourself at home, I see," Luke answered, forcing a smile on his face. His gaze went from Han and Leia sprawled on the couch, to Lando helping himself at the refreshment bar, to Chewbacca tinkering with a cleaning droid.

"Chewie's reprogramming it to ignore our presence," Han explained, "but to leave extra towels." He lazily rose and grabbed two bottles of red valjueen juice from Luke's cooling unit, then returned to his seat, handing one bottle to Leia. "Those were some good burhoney rolls you had in here," he drawled, nodding toward an empty basket setting on a low table.

"Sorry I missed 'em," Luke said. He unclipped his cloak and draped it over the back of a chair, then took a seat himself. Mara perched nearby on a low stool.

"So, junior, what's on your agenda for the rest of today?" Han took a long swig of the sweet-tasting drink, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

"They're letting us do some drills in their battle simulators," Luke replied enthusiastically. "Then we have an informal lunch with their military commanders."

"They offered us the use of one of their exercise halls in the afternoon, to get in some saber practice," Mara added. "We haven't had a chance for a good workout since we left Coruscant."

Leia sat up straight, a look of concern filling her face. "But what about the negotiations? How are they going?"

"They're not," Mara replied bluntly. Luke sent a feeling of warmth her way, aware of the looks of vexation she was receiving for being brazen enough to join the conversation. Mara responded with a curt *Worry about yourself, farmboy.*

"Regent Ke'lor keeps pushing them back," Luke went on to explain, turning his attention back to the others. "It's as if an alliance with the New Republic isn't important to Lorrd."

"What has he said exactly?" asked Leia. "These negotiations are important, Luke. Even if Lorrd doesn't want to join the New Republic, surely we can work out some kind of trade agreement. We need those crystals."

"I know, I know," Luke replied defensively. "But every time I bring up anything about beginning the negotiations, the Regent and his ministers turn the conversation around so that it revolves around the Jedi."

"Around you specifically," Mara put in. "Your training, your experience."

"Exactly," Luke agreed. "I feel like I'm being interviewed for a job position."

"I should call Mon Mothma," Leia stated. "She'll want to know your progress." She gave Luke a slightly exasperated frown. "Or lack of progress."

"It's not my fault!" His miffed reaction turned into one of chagrin when laughter filled the room, and he slumped back into his chair, crossing his arms. "I told her I wasn't a diplomat."

Leia shook her head, then turned to Han. "Maybe I should use the comm on the Falcon. It would be more secure."

"And more doable," Mara said, noticeably tempering her usual sarcastic tone. "Apparently you freeloaders haven't noticed – farmboy doesn't have a comm terminal in here."

Four heads swiveled to reinspect the lush suite. There were the dark brown zati-suede conform chairs and couch in the middle of the common room that they were occupying, there was the wood-and-glass refreshment bar which Lando had been inspecting quite thoroughly earlier, there were numerous paintings and statues lining the walls, all examples of the flashy color combinations that Lorrdians seemed to love. What there wasn't was any type of computer terminal whatsoever.

"Did you check both bedchambers?" Lando asked. "I've never heard of cushy accommodations like this not having a communications array."

"Guys, I did look around when I first got here," Luke said. "Mara's suite doesn't have anything either, except for the intercom that buzzes Prime Aide Meend's office if we need anything." He waved a hand at a small screen next to the front door. "I found it rather odd, too, but since I didn't plan on spending all my free time watching old holovids, it didn't really bother me. In fact," he chuckled to himself, "I thought it might be nice not to be ... bothered ... by ..." Luke trailed off, wishing he could take back his last words.

"Not to be bothered by your sister checking up on you?" Leia supplied. She sent a humorless stare first to Mara, who was hiding a smirk behind a raised hand, then to Han, who became the unlucky recipient of an elbow in the side when he dared to laugh aloud. "But surely the Lorrdians have offered you access to a comm unit somewhere." At the negative shake of Luke's head, Leia continued. "How do they expect you to report in to the New Republic?"

"Maybe they don't," Lando spoke up. "I've worked enough business deals to recognize when one party doesn't have all its chips on the table. These Lorrdians have some kind of hidden agenda here."

"I think Lando's right," Leia agreed. She looked at Luke expectantly. "Have you sensed any deception from them?"

"They're hard to read," he said, a touch of defensiveness returning in his voice. He frowned, reviewing each encounter since he'd arrived. "But I haven't really been trying to sense their intentions."

"Maybe you should start, kid," Han said. "Put some of that fancy Jedi training to use."

"Han, I can't go around invading people's minds."

"I knew Mothma shoulda sent a sneaky politician to do this job, not some conscientious, never-cross-the-line do-gooder. A politician knows how to squeeze the truth out of people."

"Han!" Leia objected.

"Sweetheart, you could convince a Jawa to give you a background record on every piece of junk in his sandcrawler."

"Which is probably why the Lorrdians specifically didn't want an experienced diplomat," Lando pointed out.

Leia shook her head, unconvinced. "But why not just refuse to negotiate at all? If they've something to hide, why even allow a New Republic representative to come?"

"I think they just wanted to meet a real Jedi," Mara said matter-of-factly. "They have this fascination with the Jedi Order as a whole, and they've been treating Skywalker here like a revered god. Except for General Chuckles and Viceroy Bloated Air, of course," she added.

"Who?" Leia asked, her eyes wide in disbelief.

"General Jur-and-Riss Chukla-Bref and Viceroy Dast-and-Yacit Blin-Ars," Luke rattled off, shooting Mara a disapproving frown. "Last night, they both seem to take issue with everything about us."

"These people sure have a mouthful of names," Lando commented.

"The first part represents the two clan names of the person's grandmothers," Han spoke up. "The beginning of the next hyphenated group is the person's own clan name, or family name, and the last part is the person's given name."

Leia gave him an incredulous stare. "How do you know all this?"

Chewbacca barked out a lengthy explanation, but apparently all Leia caught was a female-sounding name at the end. "Who's Fiolla?" she asked, eyes narrowing at Han. "An old girlfriend?"

[Yes], woofed Chewie.

"No," Han corrected, scowling at his partner. "Hart-and-Parn Gorra-Fiolla. She was just some Lorrdian we met once, in the Corporate Sector."

[A very pretty Lorrdian,] the Wookiee added.

"Parn ... Gorra ...," Luke repeated. "I wonder if there's a connection between her and Admiral Ress-and-Parn Gorra-Vodma."

"Could be," Han conceded. "She had an uncle, but his name was Rewello."

"As fascinating as this genealogy lesson is, I need to contact Mon Mothma." Leia rose, heading for the door. "Come along, Chewie, you can escort me. I want to hear all about this Fiolla."

"Thank goodness she can't understand half of what Chewie says," Han said after the door closed behind the pair.

"Threepio's on the ship," Lando reminded him. "He'll translate every glorious detail."

"In that case, I'm grateful Chewie doesn't know every glorious detail."

"Threepio's here?" Luke asked. "Did you bring Artoo along, too?" A pang of guilt shot through him that he'd barely thought about his mechanical friend since leaving on this mission.

"Nah, Wedge needed him for your replacement pilot," Han explained. "And we weren't about to let Goldenrod tell Artoo that we were comin' to rescue you. There wouldn't have been enough restraining bolts on Coruscant to keep him from stowing away."

*Getting nostalgic for the rolling trash can?* Mara sent silently, an amused smirk on her face.

*Did I forget to mention when we got married that Artoo and I are a package deal?* Luke returned. He knew that Mara didn't mind Artoo as much as she let on. She just liked to tease him about his faithful droid as much as everyone else did.

*As long as he stays out of the bedroom,* she ended the private conversation with an upraised brow.

"I guess he wouldn't have been much help here anyway," Luke conceded aloud. "Since there aren't any computer jacks."

Luke watched as Mara rose gracefully from her seat. He was proud of the way she had curbed her normally sharp tongue. And as a result, though the others hadn't really been friendly toward her, they had gradually softened their own frosty attitudes also. In fact, the sociable emotions he felt swirling in Mara suggested that she had rather enjoyed listening to the camaraderie of his group of friends while brain-storming. "Well, I'm ... ," she began, pausing as Luke caught and held her gaze. "I'm going to go change into something more suitable for lightsaber practice."

Luke gave her a barely perceptible smile as he nodded in acknowledgement, but his brow furrowed in consternation when a low whistle sounded after Mara sauntered out of the suite.

"Hmm, hmm, hmm." Lando smoothed his mustache, his dark eyes flashing in unabashed admiration. "That is one intense woman."

"What happened to your bruised ego at being fooled by her at Jabba's?" Han remarked. "And don't forget, she's an Imperial assassin."

"Was an assassin," Luke corrected.

Lando's white teeth flashed in a wide grin. "Ah, but that dangerous edge just adds to her charm."

"Yeah, yeah." Han glanced around at the rapidly emptying room and pursed his lips, as if a window of opportunity had just opened. "Say, Lando, instead of drooling over a woman who would just as soon put a blaster to your head as give you the time of day, why don't you make yourself useful?"

Lando gave Han a wounded look before answering – an old game between the two long-time friends. "Sure, buddy, what's up?"

"Why don't you go poke around the city and see if you can dig up anything on why these Lorrdians are so hot on having a Jedi here?" He gave Luke a sideways glance. "No offense, kid, but a contagion of hero worship by an entire planet seems a little far-fetched."

Luke waved off Han's comments, his own thoughts focusing on his decision to keep his and Mara's marriage a secret. Now Lando was back to wanting to pursue her, too, besides the clearly smitten Jayce. Maybe he should reconsider and not wait to announce to the galaxy that Mara Jade was his. Maybe—

"Hey, kid, you still with me?"

Luke's head jerked up to find Han waving a hand in front of his face. "Yeah, Han. I was ... uh ... just thinking." He suddenly realized that he and Han were alone in the suite.

Han crossed to the bar and procured a pair of bottles of the local brew. "Want one?" he offered, tipping one in Luke's direction.

"No thanks." Luke blinked, getting a better look at what Han was holding. "I had that in here?"

"You're fully stocked, kid. Ale, fine wine, even Corellian whiskey."

Luke began having visions of a huge bar tab being handed him when his stay here ended. "Don't you have somewhere to go?" he asked, wondering why Han hadn't left with Leia or Lando.

"Tryin' to get rid of me?" Han plopped down on the end of the couch nearest Luke and took a swig from his bottle. "Hmm, not bad. Better than that juice stuff." He gave Luke a conspiratorial wink. "I just drink the healthy stuff in front of your sister."

"I've got to change clothes," Luke replied, edging out of his chair. "So if you'll excuse me."

"Sit down, junior," Han ordered, halting Luke's movement. "I wanna talk to you."

Luke eased back into his seat, bracing himself for the inevitable lecture. "If this is about Mara ..."

"Nah." Han looked him straight in the eye. "But if you're wantin' to unburden your conscience on what in the nine hells has possessed you to take up with her, I'm all ears."

"You don't trust my judgment," Luke muttered. It was neither an accusation nor a question.

Han issued a loud sigh. "I guess I have to. Look, kid ... Luke ... " He rubbed nervously at the scar on his chin, causing Luke to frown. "It's about Leia."

"Leia? What about her?" Luke sat up straighter as he shifted gears with his thoughts. "Is something wrong?"

"No, no. Everything's great with her; better than great." Han attempted a lop-sided grin, but it did little to alleviate Luke's worry. "The thing is ... well, ... I'm gonna ask her to marry me."

Luke's initial reaction was shock, but it quickly made way for unabashed elation. "That's great, Han!" he cried, springing from his seat and clapping his friend on the shoulder.

"Don't go gettin' all mushy on me, now," Han protested, even as he returned Luke's embrace. He waited until Luke returned to his own seat before continuing. "So, it's okay with you, then?"

"Of course it's okay with me. Why would I have any objections?"

"I just wanted to be ... well, ... sure—"

"Are you asking my permission?" Luke interrupted incredulously. He chuckled lightly at Han's hesitant stammering, so out-of-character for the normally self-assured pilot. "I'm not her father, Han."

"I know that!" Han snapped. "Can't a guy want to do things up right without being interrogated?" He relaxed back into his seat as Luke's enthusiasm washed over him. "So, you think she'll say yes?"

"Are you crazy? Why wouldn't she? She loves you."

"Yeah, I know. But sometimes the female mind is hard to figure out. She might not think I'm good enough—"

"Han!" Luke chastised. "When has Leia ever been bothered about a person's background or station?" He gave his friend a knowing wink. "I've heard a rumor that she likes scoundrels."

"She told you that?" Han shook his head resignedly. "Twins!"

"So when are you going to ask her?" Luke asked. "How soon do you think you'll get married?"

"As soon as possible, to both questions. In fact," Han gave Luke a shrewd stare, "if you could make yourself scarce, say, tomorrow evening, I could set up a nice, quiet dinner in here for the two of us."

"Han Solo, covert romantic, about to settle down as a married man. Who'da thought it?" Luke's grin widened even more as he formed a mental picture of the resulting evening alone that he and Mara could then look forward to.

"Don't make fun, kid." Han shook his finger in mock irritation, then set his half-finished drink on the low table in front of him. "Hold on, let me show you something." He went into the spare bedchamber, and Luke could hear him rummaging around in what had to be his traveling case. When Han returned, he tossed Luke a small velvateen box.

Luke curiously opened the box, his eyes falling on a dainty jeweled ring. "What's this?" he asked, pulling the ring out and examining it closely. "It's not very big around." Out of the corner of his eye, Luke caught Han shaking his head in exasperation.

"It's for your sister, not you," Han said, snatching both the ring and its container out of Luke's hand. "When you ask a woman to marry you, you hafta give her a gift." Han held the ring up so its faceted gem would reflect the overhead light.

"Oh," Luke muttered under his breath, his excitement instantly dissolving. He hadn't even thought about getting Mara any type of present, for their engagement or their wedding. He remembered that Aunt Beru had worn a plain gold band, its shine dulled by years of manual labor. Maybe when they got back to Coruscant he'd better go shopping. If he could find something that he could afford, and if Mara even liked jewelry. He'd already given her a lightsaber, but that was three months ago. He doubted it would qualify. Maybe ...

Luke looked back up, suddenly aware that Han was still talking.

"... know it's not as ritzy as what she's used to, back when she had all her princess jewels drippin' off her, but I think it's pretty nice, if I do say so myself." Smiling to himself, Han snapped the box closed. "You'd better start learnin' about all these traditions you hafta follow, kid. Someday, when you're older, you may decide to get hitched."

"When I'm—?" Before he could stop himself, Luke's tone turned indignant. "So you think Leia's old enough to get married, but I'm not?"

"Now, Luke, don't get your feathers ruffled. All I'm saying is you need to get some more ... experience ... under your belt before you—"

"Thanks to you, Leia has plenty of 'experience,' doesn't she?" Luke's previous good mood continued to evaporate. "When I was out defending the galaxy, should I have been defending my sister's honor instead?"

Han gave his young friend a hard look, and Luke instantly regretted his harsh words. He shouldn't let his own feelings of self-reproach affect his conversation with Han, especially when Leia and Han's overt relationship didn't bother him in the least.

"Han, I'm sorry. I didn't mean that."

"It's all right, kid." Han's easy-going smile returned, though it seemed a bit strained. "You just need to loosen up." He gave Luke a sly wink. "Take advantage of opportunities for experience when you can get them." He drained his bottle, then rose to his feet, patting Luke on the shoulder as he crossed the room. "Until you can find somebody respectable enough to be wife material, that is."

Han started to pocket the jewelry box, then looked at Luke hopefully. "You mind hidin' this in your room? I'm afraid Leia might get pushy and decide she has to pick out what clothes I should be wearin' or something."

"You wear the same clothes every day," Luke replied automatically, his mind still reeling from Han's comment on finding a wife.

"Look who's talking," Han scoffed wryly, tossing the small box back into Luke's outstretched palm. "Well, I'd better get back to the Falcon before Chewie starts remembering too many old girlfriend tales. See ya later, kid."

Closing his hand around the small box, Luke nodded a silent acknowledgment, then grimaced at Han's retreating back. His hopeful plan of having his comrades accept Mara on an equal footing was definitely not going the way he'd imagined.

As Han opened the door, he turned back to Luke once more. "I guess it goes without saying that I want you and Chewie to stand up for me at the wedding. I know Leia would have a fit if you weren't part of the ceremony." He grinned widely as he added, "And don't think you'll get out of having us around when you finally tie the knot. We'll expect a front-row seat."

Luke didn't answer. He simply buried his face in his hands as the door slid shut. No, nothing whatsoever was going as smoothly as he'd optimistically anticipated.

Mara wearily rubbed her eyes as the controls of her flight simulator flickered dark. While the cockpit of the Lorrdian G-15 starfighter was fairly roomy for her small frame, three hours of sitting in one position, tensely concentrating on one virtual dogfight after another, was enough to make anyone's body ache.

The morning's exercise had begun with practice runs as Luke and Mara became acquainted with Lorrd's premier fighter craft. The joyous rush of adrenaline that Mara had felt from Luke was intoxicating, mirroring her own delight at the freedom of pure flight.

Then the real simulations had begun, putting her and Luke through every conceivable battle scenario possible, and many Mara would have thought impossible. Even Luke's normally bubbly enthusiasm had been squelched by the hours of simulated warfare. General Chukla-Bref had programmed the drills so that Luke was constantly in command of the rotating squadrons of replicated wingmates. In the one instance where his ship was disabled, control automatically switched to Mara's craft.

As Mara popped the canopy of her module and levered herself out of the confining space, she looked over to see Luke already sitting on the rim of his cockpit.

"I feel like I've been trampled by a bantha," he muttered, stretching his tired muscles. He swung his head around as the general approached, then slipped down to the duracrete floor.

"Impressive flying, Commander," the general stated in his usual gruff voice. Mara had already noted that the dour-faced officer was the only Lorrdian they'd met that consistently called Luke by his military title instead of his Jedi moniker.

*I think his opinion of you went up a few notches, flyboy,* Mara commented silently.

"Thank you, General," Luke replied evenly, sending a mute wink back to Mara. "Your fighters must be highly maneuverable, if the actual craft are anything like the simulators."

"They are," the general assured him. He glanced indifferently toward Mara. "I shall arrange a test flight for you both tomorrow."

"That's not really necessary, General," Luke said. "I expect to be involved in negotiations with the Regent tomorrow."

"I see." The general's unemotional expression, so unlike most Lorrdians, gave no clue to his inner thoughts. He looked up as the door to the training room opened. To Mara's dismay, Second Aide Vazan-Jayce walked briskly across the duracrete floor, a wide smile plastered on his face.

"Padawan Jade," Jayce greeted Mara, bowing and reaching out to take her hand. Mara responded by quickly crossing her arms. Undaunted, Jayce nodded a perfunctory acknowledgment to Luke and the general before turning back to his target. "You were brilliant, my lady. You nearly equal your master in flying skill."

Mara narrowed her eyes as she caught Luke hiding a grin behind an upraised hand.

"Let me escort you to the locker areas, my lady," Jayce continued, holding out an elbow. "I'm sure you'll want to refresh yourself after such a grueling drill."

"I think we can find it ourselves," Mara replied, hoping Luke would take the hint and join her.

He didn't, and Mara suspected it was deliberate.

"You go ahead, Mara," he said, giving her a nod of dismissal. Apparently satisfied that Jayce's overtures were annoying Mara as much as him, Luke had toned down his displays of jealousy, so much so that his indifference was beginning to equally grate on her nerves. Well, two could play this game.

"Yes, Master," Mara responded, reaching out and taking Jayce's elbow. She could feel Luke's eyes riveted on her as she accompanied the suave aide toward the pilots' locker rooms. Smiling to herself, Mara put an alluring sway in her hips as she walked.

As Mara exited the women's locker area a short time later, she passed more than a dozen female pilots just entering.

"Busy place," she commented to Jayce, who was waiting patiently by the door.

"Yes, indeed," Jayce replied, a hint of boasting coloring his voice. "Enlistment has risen tenfold in the last month." He stood tall, affecting a proud stance. "We will not be enslaved again."

Mara frowned as she pondered Jayce's declaration. "Excuse me?"

But the normally ebullient man did not elaborate. In fact, Mara got the distinct impression that Jayce regretted saying as much as he had.

*Nice outfit.*

Mara looked over her shoulder as the words entered her mind. Luke stood silently outside the men's locker, hands clasped behind his back. He also wore a fresh, nondescript jumpsuit, courtesy of the Lorrdian purveyor of supplies.

"Jedi Skywalker." Jayce bowed his head slightly, an accommodating smile once more gracing his dark features. "Please follow me to the officer's dining room."

The officer's mess was more crowded with military personnel than Mara could ever recall seeing the New Republic's equivalent. After collecting their trays of lunch, Jayce guided them toward a medium-sized table in a corner where three officers were just sitting down with their meal. Besides General Chukla-Bref, Mara recognized Admiral Gorra-Vodma and Colonel Pimar-Archa.

Hurrying to pull Mara's seat out for her, Jayce unintentionally cut Luke off before he could reach her. Mara winced inside. She was tempted to react sharply, but the brief flash of annoyance in Luke's eyes aroused her sense of mischief.

"Why, thank you, Jayce," Mara said, smiling graciously at him as she sat down.

"You're quite welcome, my lady," Jayce replied smoothly.

Though Mara was careful not to look at his face, she could feel Luke cringing inwardly. She knew she should be feeling ashamed for toying with his emotions, but she was finding it hard to stop. Perhaps because it was such a new sensation to her that someone actually had a strong emotional attachment to her.

"Ah, Jedi Skywalker, Jedi Jade," Admiral Gorra-Vodma greeted them. "General Chukla has been relating to us the results of your run in the simulators. We are most pleased with your prowess."

"Thank you," Luke said simply.

"I was particularly interested in the strategy you used in the last drill," Colonel Pimar-Archa said. "The way you worked together to outmaneuver your pursuers was brilliant." He gave Mara a questioning glance, then looked back at Luke. "Do you always fly as wingmates in battle?"

"No." Luke hesitated, as if warring with himself about how much to reveal. His next words told Mara that he'd decided there was no harm in a partial admission. "My padawan and I have never flown together in combat. We were not acquainted until the war was nearly over."

"Really?" the admiral said in amazement. "There was no comm communication between your modules, yet your coordination was flawless."

"We are able to communicate through the Force," Luke replied slowly, uncertainty clouding his voice.

"I'm glad to see that the title of Jedi is good for more than just show," the general said with a humorless smile.

"I beg your pardon?" Mara said indignantly, half-rising out of her seat. Only Luke's outstretched arm prevented her from lunging across the table.

"It's all right, Mara," Luke said, his calm blue eyes not leaving the general. "I'm sure no disrespect was intended."

"Yes, Master," Mara returned through gritted teeth. As she sat back down, Mara realized that she didn't need to defend Luke's integrity. He did that himself simply by his tranquil demeanor. It was her own temper that contradicted how a Jedi should act.

"None at all, I assure you," the admiral said. He had been gesturing to the general in what Mara assumed to be a disapproving reprimand. "What my colleague meant is that it is most fortunate that you have this capability. We were not aware that the telepathic abilities of Jedi were that precise."

The colonel leaned forward, clearly intrigued by this new revelation. "Are you able to send thoughts to non-Jedi?" he asked. "Could you issue commands to your fellow pilots?"

Luke looked back and forth between the officers, than shot a worried glance to Mara. "No," he finally answered. "That is, I couldn't send them detailed orders. Certainly not battle commands."

"Could you transmit images or sensations?" the colonel continued. "Enough to impress upon them what you wanted them to do?"

"Well ... I ..." Luke stammered.

"But you could simply make them do what you needed them to do, is this not so?" the general asked. "It is rumored that Palpatine controlled his forces in such a manner at Endor."

Luke's eyes widened, and Mara had no trouble sensing the uneasiness flowing through him. Or perhaps it was a ricocheting of her own apprehension.

"I would never do such a thing," he declared, his steady gaze going from one officer to another.

"But it is possible?" The general drilled Luke with an uncompromising glare, and this time the admiral did not interrupt.

"Not for me," Luke returned adamantly. Mara noticed he was unconsciously bending the eating utensil clenched in his right hand.

The three officers broke into a flurry of silent gestures among themselves.

*I don't like this,* Mara sent silently. *Why are they so interested in what a Jedi could do in battle? It's not like you go around controlling the minds of the Rogues." She paused, thinking about how Rogue Squadron was the premier fighter group, and had been ever since Luke formed it. Mara gave Luke a narrowed frown.

*No!* he sent back sharply, then immediately softened his tone. *I might have conveyed a sensation that they should bank right or left, if I spotted a TIE coming up behind them. But I never took control of anyone's mind.*

Mara was about to return a wordless apology when Jayce laid a hand on her shoulder. In her bewilderment of what the military men were up to, she had nearly forgotten about the aide sitting on the other side of her.

"I apologize for any dishonor to the noble Jedi you may have deduced," Jayce whispered in a low voice. He moved his hand to comfortingly squeeze her hand. "They are merely curious as to how your Force could be used in battle. Hypothetically speaking, of course." Jayce flashed an ingratiating smile, and Mara fought the urge to jerk out of the man's grasp.

"Of course," she said instead. Mara wondered if Jayce knew what the officers were up to. Was he simply being polite, or was he trying to cover up something? She thought back to his comments outside the locker room. Comments that she now was certain he rued making.

They were all hiding something.

"Forgive us," the admiral said aloud, breaking into the tension in the air. "You are our guests. We should not be bombarding you with meaningless questions."

Luke nodded an acknowledgment, but did not speak.

"Come," the admiral continued, waving a hand at their trays. "Let us finish our meal before it gets any colder. Then I understand you and your padawan wish to avail yourselves of an exercise chamber."

"Yes, Regent Ke'lor offered us the opportunity to get in some lightsaber practice," Luke answered. "So if it is not an inconvenience, we would like to do so."

The officers looked between themselves, again making small gestures.

"Would it be possible ...er, permissible ..." the colonel began. "That is, would you mind an audience?"

Luke raised an eyebrow questioningly. "An audience?"

"We have never been privileged to see a Jedi use a lightsaber," the admiral said. "We would not interfere, I assure you. We would consider it a great honor."

"Just the three of you?" Luke asked warily. Mara knew the last thing he wanted was to put on an exhibition for half of Lorrd.

Jayce fidgeted in his chair, deliberately calling attention to himself.

"Four," Luke amended.

"Yes, four," the admiral agreed, then looked to the side as the colonel flicked a hand quickly. "Unless, of course, His Excellency also wishes to witness your session."

Luke sighed in resignation. "Yes, that will be fine, as long as you stay far enough back."

Mara and Luke stretched their arms and legs, warming up in preparation for the long-overdue workout. As it turned out, the self-invited audience wasn't even in the same room. Regent Ke'lor had joined Jayce and the trio of military men behind a transparisteel barrier overlooking the spacious training room.

*What in the galaxy is going on, Luke?* Mara asked. She and Luke had agreed to stick to silent communication for the time being. While they had thoroughly checked their quarters for listening devices, they hadn't had the luxury of being able to inspect this exercise area.

*I'm not sure,* Luke returned, unclipping his hilt from a loop on the utility jumpsuit.

*But I am having a really bad feeling about this.*

*You don't say,* Mara returned with a smirk. *As I recall, you had a bad feeling about this whole mission before we left Zembuhl.*

*I know. This morning I thought that ...* he paused, swinging his lightsaber up to meet Mara's initial strike, *... that Han and Leia's accusations were the cause of my foreboding.* Luke sprang up as Mara's saber crossed the space where his knees had been a moment earlier. *But now, I realize I must've felt whatever the Lorrdians are plotting.*

Mara's azure blade hummed with energy as she flicked her wrist back and forth. She had admitted to herself months ago that Luke was the better swordsman, but this fact only served to make her more determined to best him. A determination that hadn't lessened in light of her marriage to him. *We could beat it out of them,* she quipped. Dancing just out of Luke's longer reach, Mara spun and slashed with uncompromising force.

*Mara!* Luke caught her crackling beam with his own, then countered with an overhand blow. *I think I'll meditate on it first,* he said, instinctively dodging Mara's retaliatory sweep, *and see if anything comes to me.*

Meditate on it? Surely he's jok— Mara dived and rolled just in time as Luke's blade whirled toward her.

*No, I'm not joking.* Luke deftly sidestepped Mara's next attack. "Stretch out with your senses!" he shouted aloud. "Let the Force guide you!" With a running leap, he kicked off from the wall and somersaulted to land behind her. *That's what Jedi do. We meditate.*

Mara growled in only partially feigned irritation as she turned to face him. She knew that. He didn't have to keep reminding her. Her lightsaber vibrated in her hand like a living entity, the glowing rod whining in protest as she relentlessly thrust and parried against Luke's emerald blade. The air grew thick with an ozone scent as the two lightsabers intersected again and again, sparks flying chaotically.

The five spectators stood spellbound behind the clear barrier, mouths gaping in unabashed fascination.

"This is unbelievable," Admiral Gorra-Vodma said. "I never dreamed of viewing such an incredible display of skill."

"Indeed," Regent Ke'lor replied. "I was a young boy when a Jedi last visited Lorrd, but I was never fortunate enough to witness a lightsaber duel." He leaned forward, one hand resting on the transparent wall as Luke feinted a drive to his right, then spun into an attack from the left. "Amazing."

"Yes, amazing," Jayce echoed. His attention, however, was riveted only on Mara. "How can she be only a padawan?" he asked of no one in particular. "She meets his every blow."

"They are both skilled," Colonel Pimar-Archa commented. He drew in a breath as Mara doggedly blocked thrust after thrust. Luke stayed on the offensive, not easing up in the least. The colonel could hear the Jedi continuously issuing instructions to his student – 'Focus!' 'Don't think, react!' 'Your blade is an extension of yourself!'

"I fail to see how their ability to fight each other will help our cause," General Chukla-Bref said, scowling. "There are no Argazdans with lightsabers."

"True," the Regent agreed, turning to the pessimistic officer. "However, I believe Jedi are able to block blaster fire with the same skill and precision that we are witnessing at this very moment."

"Then that is the talent we need a demonstration of, Excellency," the general said.

"I hardly think we can pull out blasters and start shooting at them, Bref. But perhaps ..." The Regent looked thoughtfully at his companions. "Do we have any type of remote firing device?"

Colonel Pimar-Archa dragged his attention away from the duel long enough to ponder his ruler's question. "We have the automatic fusillade apparatus that we used to test our latest design of personal shields. It fires concentrated stun bolts."

"Yes, that should do." The Regent glanced back toward the exercise chamber just in time to see Luke twist his wrist in an abrupt movement that sent Mara's lightsaber sailing out of her grasp. "Jedi Skywalker," he spoke into an intercom. "May I offer my congratulations, and offer you yet another training opportunity?"

Mara was hot, tired, and ready to strangle Second Aide Serl-and-Jeem Vazan-Jayce. She had elected to wait and shower in her quarters after the grueling lightsaber drills, so she took out her frustration on the bundle of her clothes that she clutched in her arms, squeezing the garments into wrinkled wads of cloth. Jayce didn't seem to notice as he escorted her and Luke back to the ambassadorial wing. Keeping one manicured hand on the small of Mara's back, he leaned close to her ear as he gushed one compliment after another.

"The fluidity of your movements was truly spectacular, Mistress Mara," Jayce remarked. "Both in your duel with your master, and in deflecting the stun bolts. I have not seen such grace and agility in our finest dancers. Have you danced professionally?"

"No," Mara muttered. She had not given Jayce permission to call her by her first name, and she cringed every time he took the liberty to do so.

"You should let your hair flow free, Mistress Mara," he continued, undaunted. Mara bristled as Jayce lifted her braid, wisps of hair that had worked loose curling about her neck. "You would put our dancers to shame with your natural poise and beautiful tresses."

Behind her, Luke's newfound patience of Jayce's attention seemed to be dissolving into obscurity.

Jayce took hold of the ornate door handle, but when he reached out to clasp Mara's elbow, he suddenly jumped back as if shocked. "Must have been static electricity," he said, shaking his hand to ease the tingling. Jayce once again touched Mara, and once again yelped, startled by a mysterious jolt.

Mara narrowed her eyes and turned around to look at Luke. He gave her a smug grin, and Mara shook her head in resignation. Men!

"Luke, that was downright mean," Mara chastised after Jayce had reluctantly left them to find their own way down the long deserted corridor to their suites.

"It's called conditioning," Luke countered, not sounding the least bit repentant. "Your movements were truly spectacular, Mistress Mara," he mimicked in a nasal voice. "You should let your hair flow free, Mistress Mara." Luke snorted in disgust. "If he gets a jolt every time he lays a hand on you, eventually he'll get the message and quit touching you."

"Oh, I don't know ..." Mara let a little smile escape. "I still feel a spark whenever I touch you, and it only makes me want to touch you that much more."

"Reverse conditioning," Luke murmured as Mara clutched the front of his jumpsuit and pulled him closer. Their lips found each other's for several minutes before Luke turned his head to glance at his door. "No one's home," he said huskily, edging Mara that direction.

"Luke, we have to be ready for dinner in less than an hour, and we both still need to take a shower."

"We could take a shower together," he suggested, still pulling her toward his suite.

"We'd never be able to leave enough time to get dressed," Mara pointed out, halting his movements.

Luke didn't bother to hide his resigned sigh. "You don't have to always be so practical, you know."

"Isn't that a Jedi's way, Master?" Mara purred, leaning back and letting her fingertips slide down his chest.

"And you don't have to go overboard on calling me Master," he added, opening his door and entering the opulent room.

Mara gave Luke an alluring smile as she leaned just inside the doorframe. "I figure every time the word 'Master' rolls off my tongue, you owe me another favor."

"What kind of favor?" Luke asked, a smile worming its way onto his face also.

"The kind I plan on collecting in bed."

"Am I ever going to get a full night's sleep?"

"Are you saying you'd rather sleep than ..."

"No, no. I'm not saying that." Luke stepped closer, wrapping his arms around Mara's waist. "I'll show you tonight just how masterful I can be."

Mara laughed lightly. "Sweetheart, I think we're both padawans in that department."

"We just need more practice."

"And practice makes perf—"

Luke cut her off with a kiss—warm, passionate, tender—until Mara reluctantly pulled back.

"Luke, we really have to get ready for dinner." She raised one hand to gently stroke his face. "But we'll have lots of opportunities for practice."

"Lots of opportunities for practicing the patience of a Jedi, you mean," Luke replied with a wan smile. He held out one hand as Mara drew out of his grasp, her fingers trailing down his arm.

"That, too." Without turning around, Mara backed across the hallway to her own door. Raising a hand to her lips, she then did something that she'd never done before in her life.

She blew a kiss to her husband.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"I hate it when you guys do that."

Leia turned back to look at Han as he spoke quietly beside her, and saw that he, too, was closely watching Luke and Mara. The pair had returned from dinner just moments ago, and Leia had no trouble sensing their disappointment that she and Han were already waiting in Luke's suite. Now Luke sat in a reclining chair near one end of the couch, while Mara was directly opposite him in a matching chair. But they may as well have been halfway across the galaxy for all the attention they were paying to either Leia or Han.

"You can tell what they're doing?" Leia asked.

"Sure." Han gave her a lop-sided grin. "You think Lorrdians are the only ones who can read body language? Watch the way their eyes meet, and those subtle little smiles that Luke keeps giving her. Don't they know it's rude to talk in front of people?"

Leia once more cast a surreptitious glance at her brother and the mysterious woman. They were definitely wrapped up in a world of their own. "Luke and I can really only exchange brief words and feelings," Leia whispered to Han, a twinge of envy creeping into her being. "I'd swear they're having an entire conversation." She sighed quietly, shoving aside her personal feelings in favor of the matter at hand. "I know Chewbacca wanted to stay on the ship, but shouldn't Lando be here soon?"

"Anytime now," Han replied. "And hopefully he'll have the lowdown on why these Lorrdians are being so hardheaded about negotiatin' with the kid."

Both of the private conversations in the room stilled at the sound of the front door sliding open. Lando strolled in, sweeping off his silk-lined cape with a flourish.

"Ah, here he is," Han said, settling back into his seat on the couch and flashing Leia a roguish smile. "Well, Your Worship, looks like we're ready to discuss this in committee."

"Greetings, one and all," Lando said, smiling widely. "Sorry if I'm late, but there are some fine women here on Lorrd, and I felt it my duty to leave no stone unturned in following up on rumors."

"Cut the chitchat, Lando," Han returned. "Did you dig up any dirt or didn't you?"

"Oh, yes." Lando sank onto the end of the couch next to Leia, smoothing his mustache. "Juicy headlines, folks." He paused for dramatic effect. "This planet is at war."

"What?!" Leia cried. How could they have overlooked a war?

"At war?" Luke said. He looked as mystified as everyone else.

Han waved his hands. "Wait a minute. We flew right in this morning, no trouble. I think we would've noticed a war going on."

"We stole in under cover of darkness, in the shadow of a freighter," Leia pointed out. "But you're right, we couldn't have missed a planetary firefight."

"That's because apparently the fighting right now is confined to the—"

"Eastern hemisphere," Luke finished. He glanced around and shrugged as the others now focused their attention on him. "I overheard some pilots in the locker room talking about being deployed to squadrons in the eastern hemisphere of Lorrd. I just didn't know why they were being sent there."

"You didn't mention that to me," Mara said in an indignant tone.

"I didn't think at the time that it was important," Luke said.

Leia shook her head at her brother, and turned back to Lando. "So who are the Lorrdians at war with?"

"Just some kind of local system trouble, from what I gathered," Lando replied. "A planet called Argazda."

Luke scrunched up his face in concentration. "Argazda ... Argazda ... Why does that name sound so familiar?" His eyes flashed toward Mara, as if she had the answer.

She did.

"The Argazdans subjugated the Lorrdians into slavery four thousand years ago." Mara frowned at Luke's continued blank look. "Next planet out. Put in their place by the Old Republic."

Leia was impressed in spite of herself. Apparently Mara had done her homework on this mission, more so than Luke. Not what one would expect from someone only concerned with doing away with her companion.

"Oh, right. I remember now." Luke smiled weakly. "It was part of that background information tacked on at the end of the briefing notes. That's how the Lorrdians got started using kinetic communication, isn't it?" His gaze stayed focused on Mara, who nodded back. "Guess that explains today."

Leia leaned forward as she caught Luke's last mumbled statement. "Why? What happened today?"

Luke expelled a breath before answering. "The officers we had lunch with were drilling us on how a Jedi's skills could be used in combat."

"You think they want you to join their war effort?" Leia asked.

"It's looking that way." Luke sent what Leia perceived to be a guilty look toward Mara. "That's why they were so anxious to have us spend time in the simulators."

"And why they were so accommodating to let us have lightsaber practice, especially where they could observe," Mara added.

"Blast it!" Luke clenched his fists where they rested on the arms of his chair. "All that talk about whether a Jedi could control pilots' minds. I knew something was wrong; I just didn't know they had a conflict going on right now."

Mara winced. "I'm the one that should have put two and two together, after Jayce's remark that his people wouldn't let themselves be enslaved again."

"I don't remember him saying that." Luke narrowed his eyes at Mara. "Some private conversation that you and he had?"

Leia could sense an argument starting to build, and quickly broke into the conversation. "Was anything more said at dinner tonight? Any hints that they want you to fight for them?"

"No." Luke answered. He still seemed tense with self-reproach. "It was only the Regent and his family. The entire conversation revolved around their extolling the many wonderful attributes of Lorrd."

"I say come right out and demand they tell you what's going on," Han put in. "Maybe a little wave under their chins of the business end of that saber would loosen up their tongues."

"Han!" Leia frowned at him, then turned back to Luke. "Luke, securing an agreement with Lorrd for the New Republic is your highest priority. You can't jeopardize that by confronting the Regent with your suspicions, no matter how accurate they may turn out to be."

"I think Leia's right, farmboy," Mara said. "You'd only antagonize the Regent by questioning the ulterior motives of him or his staff, and then we'd never have access to those norumite crystals."

Leia once more looked at Mara in surprise. If it hadn't been for the revelation of Mara's background, she might be considering the woman an effective partner. "Luke, you do need to insist on an audience with the Regent to begin the negotiations."

"He already promised to meet with us in the morning," Luke revealed.

"Good. Be firm." Leia eyed him speculatively. "And flexible."

"Huh?"

"A good negotiator has to be willing to compromise, but only to a certain extent," Lando explained. "You can't be a pushover, but at the same time don't come off as intractable."

Luke slumped back, looking dejected. "Can't I just confess to the Regent that you're here, Leia, and let you handle these negotiations?"

Leia shook her head. "I think you ..." She paused, reconsidering her words. "I think the two of you are more than capable of managing on your own."

A stillness descended on the conversation, and Leia was certain that Luke and Mara were communicating silently once more. Finally Han rubbed his hands as if an idea had just occurred to him.

"Well, I doubt the Lorrdians will drag Luke into a starfighter this evening, so how about we play a round of sabacc to pass the time? Lando, you got a deck with you?"

Lando patted a pocket. "Always."

"Good. Deal 'em out."

"I don't play—" Mara began.

"You wanna fit in with this group, sister, you'd better learn." Han shot Luke a sly grin. "Luke needs somebody he can beat."

"I win a round once in a while," Luke protested weakly.

"Come on, Mara," Leia encouraged. "These guys need some female competition."

Leia noted that Mara gave Luke what could only be considered a cryptic, mischievous wink. A wink that Luke seemed to understand completely. To Leia's amazement, she found herself more intrigued by the mystery of her brother and Mara Jade's involvement than by the political goings-on of the Lorrdian government.

She only hoped neither turned out to be as deceitful as she feared.